Rosa's Sixteenth Year
by Lorikemu
Summary: Rosa is officially on her own. Her parents: murdered. Her sister, Mei: murdered. Her options for help seem very limited, until Mewtwo shows up. A crazy race to find the evil Ghetsis and bring him to justice will soon begin! Rated T for a fair bit of coarse language, so please don't be offended.
1. Chapter 1

I've just escaped from the worst moment of my entire life. All I have here with me is a captioned photograph. I can't really make out what the caption says, because it's written in some sort of code. And it's too dark to look at the photograph. I sort of recognise the word 'Mewtwo' but I have no idea what that is. All I can see around me are trees, and very strange creatures in the treetops. I think I know what they are, but it's kind of fuzzy. I think they're Po… Poky? No, I remember now! They're called Pokémon!

I sit down and gather some sticks toward me. I pile them up. "Excuse me, Pokémon," I say, my voice ringing through the forest, "I need a place to stay. I have no idea about anything, where to go, what to do, even if I have a family! However, I do know my name. My name is Rosa, Rosa Stark. Please, let me stay here. I also need some help with cracking a code. If anyone of you can help me, please come to me, light my fire, give me some water, or help me make a nest for myself."

Not long after, the Grass-Type Pokémon, Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Treecko, Turtwig and Snivy used Vine Whip to gather grasses and sweet-smelling flowers into a nest for me. The Fire-Types, Charmander, Cyndaquil, Torchic, Chimchar and Tepig used Ember to set my sticks on fire. The Water-Types, Squirtle, Totodile, Mudkip, Piplup and Oshawott used Ice Beam to create a glass and then filled it up using Water Gun.

"Thank you all very much. Can you all accompany me on a journey to find my past and future?"

_'No problem!' _said the Grass-Types.

_'Of course!' _said the Fire-Types.

_'Yes, we will!' _said the Water-Types.

"Um… how are you able to talk?" I ask, very shocked. Oshawott comes up to me and rests its head on my knee.

_'We have been able to talk for centuries,'_ Oshawott answers, its stone black eyes looking straight into my grass green, fire red and ocean blue eyes, _'but only one person in each region has the ability to understand our language. You're the person for Unova.'_

"So, you're saying that I am in Unova? The region where Hilda became Champion and beat N, Ghetsis and Team Plasma?" Wow, I actually _do_ remember something about this place.

_'Yes, Rosa, you are.'_

_'We will follow you on your quest to find your past and your future,'_ calls Bulbasaur. _'In the meantime, though, I think it is high time for sleeping. You can make sense of everything in the morning.'_

I drink the water – scratch that, I guzzle the water – and Squirtle leads me along to a stream. I strip right in front of Squirtle – not embarrassed at all – and take my hair out of the doughnuts they're always in. I slowly walk in to the middle, slipping and sliding on the smooth stones as I go. The cold water only just reaches my waist, so I realise that I have to swim if I want everywhere to get clean.

Squirtle gives me a pumice stone that glows in the light of the biggest full moon I have ever seen. I take it and put it to my foot –

_'Wait, Rosa!'_ she cries.

"Why?"

_'That stone is really special. The Rock- and Psychic-Types imbued it with a special energy that lets you change into someone that you're thinking of when used in this stream. You have to rid your mind of thoughts of your family and anyone or anything else, otherwise you turn into them.'_

"Thank you, Squirtle." I rub myself all over with the stone, careful not to think of what my parents may have been like, or of anyone else. When I finish, I swim toward the moon's reflection, allowing the moonlight to cover me, showing off all my wonderful curves.

As I swim, a steady trickle of blood floats away from me downstream. I was wondering when it would finally come. I dive under and swim upstream toward a waterfall, my long, light brown hair streaming behind me. I climb up the waterfall, allowing all the sweat and grime to wash away with the water.

Soon I am standing on the very top. A valley is spread before me. I wonder what this view would look like during the day.

After about an hour, I dive back down the waterfall, head first. I swim back over to where Squirtle is waiting for me. I give her the stone, then walk out and pick up my clothes. I don't bother getting dressed or doing my hair again.

Back in the clearing, the fire is roaring and the Grass-Types are putting the finishing touches on my nest. "Thank you," I whisper, exhausted. I fall into the nest, overcome by the scent of all those flowers. One by one, the Pokémon get in the nest with me, covering me up. I fall asleep quickly.

* * *

><p>If you are wondering where the X and Y starters are, I'm sorry that they won't be mentioned at all in this story. I don't have X or Y, or a 3DS for that matter, because my Dad won't let me get one. I was lucky that I even got Black 2 for Christmas last year! Once again, my apologies.<p>

And I hope you don't mind that I decided to change the surname from 'Twohmon' to 'Stark'. According to one reviewer, it was tacky. Frankly, they were right.


	2. Chapter 2

I wake the next morning to find Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle gone. "Frigging hell!" I whisper. I look around the nest to find that my clothes have been burned up. "Great. Just great. Now I have to go into towns and cities absolutely naked!" I look up to the sky. There's something that I don't think was there last night. I stand up. Before I can move anywhere, the thing floats down onto me. I feel as if my lower legs are showing through a slit that runs up the middle. Squirtle puts some shoes in front of me. They look like they're made of the deepest blue and lightest greenish water. I step into them. Charmander walks up behind me, holding a pair of Charizard wings. I bend down so it can attach them to my back. When it's done, I stand up again. I walk to the pane of ice that Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Charmander brought over.

Don't blame me for waking everyone up! I am amazed. I look absolutely spectacular! "Wow! Did you three make this?"

_'Yes, we did,' _Charmander answers, chuffed at my reaction.

"Thank you very much!" I take in my reflection. The dress is a strapless emerald, sea and grass green gown that hugs my body, but flounces away from my knees and floats away for at least two metres. There's a large slit that runs from the ground up to my knees. The top of the gown looks like bandages around my breasts. It's tight and revealing, but not so that I'm short of breath. I spin around and watch as I become a flower. The bottom (where it flounces from my knees) turns into all the colours under the sun. I stop spinning, sit down and ask Snivy to style my knee length hair into my regular doughnuts.

_'Are you sure?'_ she asks, hesitant.

"Why?"

_'It's the start of a new life, isn't it?' _

"Umm… I guess so."

_'Face it, Rosa, you lost your parents. They're gone. So's the rest of your family.'_

"What?!" I cry. I start shaking. Uncontrollable tears cascade down my face, blurring my vision. I get up and stumble toward the stream. As I do, memories flood toward me. My mother, father and twin sister, Mei, were impaled on an ebony-black cane. The only reason I escaped is a strange creature who picked me up just in the nick of time. I think it was a Pokémon. I think it then used Psychic to get me out of the house.

"I need to go home," I announce, sitting down. Tears trickle down my cheeks. "But where is it?" I lie back on the soft grass, my feet in the stream. Clouds roll past in the sky. I see my mother's beautiful face for a minute. She fades away. Next, I see my father's face for a moment. All too soon, he fades, too. Finally, Mei's smile appears. I used to be so jealous of her smarts… I think that's why this has happened. "_Mei!_" I scream suddenly, loud enough to wake the dead. Oh, if only it could! "_Mei! Please don't leave me! Please! I'm all alone! MEI!_" I close my eyes for the longest time, willing my sister to appear before me. I sit up and tuck my head between my knees, allowing the tears to cascade down my face in the world's biggest human waterfall – at least, that's what it feels like.

Suddenly, I am aware of an ethereal presence, then a hand on my shoulder. I lift my head up but don't turn.

"Hey, sis," a voice says.

"M-Mei?" I turn my head to look at my older twin.

"In the flesh." She smiles at me, gently lifting me up.

"Oh, Mei!" I cry, and wrap my arms around Mei's neck. We slowly sink to the ground in our embrace, me still crying. When I finally stop crying, Mei lifts my chin, her face suddenly serious.

"Rosa, I'm afraid I can't stay long. Give me the photograph you had."

"How did you know about that?" I ask, pulling it from my still-loose and knotty hair.

"Duh, I saw you take it right before I died."

"So, you're really a ghost. You really are dead, aren't you?"

"In the literal sense, yes, I am dead. In the spiritual sense, well, I have a brand new body. Anyway…" she looks at the caption with such intensity. Then she looks at the photo itself. She gasps.

"What is it?" I ask, suddenly interested. She remains silent. "Sis, tell me."

"This is the man who killed me, Rosa. It was _Ghetsis!_"

Now it's my turn to gasp. "You're kidding me, right? Lemme have a look at it." She hands it to me.

In the picture, Mum, Dad and Mei's eyes are wide open, their faces an eternal expression of shock. The other man, who _is_ Ghetsis, has a cane, which has been thrust into my family's chests. There's a creature, a Pokémon, I presume, in the photo, but it's more to the side. It's a lilac sort of colour.

"Mei, what does the caption say?"

She's silent.

"Mei?"

"Rosa… you have to find this Pokémon. You also have to find N and Hilda. They'll help you."

"Mei, could this be about revenge?"

"Somehow… I think it is. What happened that day?"

"You don't remember?" The very blank look on her face tells me she clearly doesn't. "Well…" I explain to her how we were at the Giant Chasm and the Team Plasma Frigate was there, too, and how we went into the confusing cave itself and saw both Reshiram and Zekrom combine into one with Kyurem. It became White Kyurem and Black Kyurem, harnessing both Pokémon. Hilda was there, with N, simply watching it all play out. Ghetsis was controlling the poor Pokémon, and Mei and I had to battle it. I caught it, let it out for a little and Reshiram and Zekrom came out of Kyurem.

"Thank you, Rosa," Hilda replied after Ghetsis had been taken away by one of the Shadow Triad.

"Yes, thank you so very much," added N. "I'm afraid to think of the consequences of what Father may have been able to do…"

"But, now the two of you can be together!" Mei exclaimed.

"Yeah! Think of the life you two could share!" I added.

"Well…" N hesitated. "I think we need to wait another couple of years before we can start thinking of marriage."

"But, N…" Mei and I groaned.

"Rosa, Mei, I promise the two of you will be the first to know. And I'll ask you to be my bridesmaids."

"Th-thank you so much, Hilda!"

They still haven't told us when they'll marry. But I know that they are together.

"Seriously, Rosa. That all happened and I remember none of it?" Mei sounds incredulous, shocked, even.

"Mei, I don't think our journey was the same for you as it was for me. Maybe your death took away some of those memories."

"I guess you may be right."

"Sis, can you tell me what the caption says?" I ask suddenly, before letting the silence get too awkward.

"Let's see…

_"Find Mewtwo, Rosa._

_It'll help you._

_Journey again, Rosa._

_Only when you reach your home will you find what is true to you."_


	3. Chapter 3

"Can you repeat it again?"

"Sure.

_"Find Mewtwo, Rosa._

_It'll help you._

_Journey again, Rosa._

_Only when you reach your home will you find what is true to you."_ She gives me the photograph again.

"How do I find Mewtwo?"

"I don't know. I will let you know soon, though. But I have to go. I can't stay here for much longer. I'll come to you in a dream."

"Promise?"

"As sure as the Sun sets in the west and rises in the east. Tonight, I'll come. Be good!"

"Of course I will!"

"Before I forget, Mum and Dad send their love."

"Thank you." As I reply, she floats up. Beautiful white wings appear on her back as she starts to fly.

Within seconds, Mei is gone. I hear a voice. The voice is hard, cold, firm and loud.

I bristle all over when I hear it. "Oh, Rosa, you know I merely want to help you."

"Yeah, so you can make me a pawn in your next plan, just like you did N. I will never accept help from anyone like you, Ghetsis." I turn around as I say the name. And surprisingly, I see an old, old man. His robe is torn, but I can clearly see the eyes on it. His red bionic eye is missing, and he's covering the socket to hide the gruesome sight from me. His pale greeny-grey long hair is now thin and hanging down his back in rats' tails. Yuck. "Okay, what happened? Be honest. Don't omit a word."

He goes on to tell me (at length) how he met up with N and Hilda – right in the middle of a romantic French kiss. He said that Hilda had a beautiful ring on her finger. There were six gems on it and they were orange and white (for Reshiram), black and blue (for Zekrom) and the other two were green and pink (for the two of them together). Then all of Hilda's Pokémon came out of their Poké Balls – Samurott, Stoutland, Simisage, Watchog, Reshiram and Unfeazant – and used their strongest moves on him. "So that's why you're so bedraggled." Honestly, I wish I could believe him about the ring. 'But they would have told me first!' a little voice tells me. 'Maybe it was only yesterday,' I counter. I still doubt it. It's just not like him to not have a plan.

"I am _not_ going to help you. And _you_ are _not_ going to help _me_. Leave me alone, you evil demon! Get out of my life for good, you understand! I can't see the good in you at all. Honestly, I was hoping you'd change after a couple of years. Turn over a new leaf. Obviously, you're still the same lying, greedy, horrible piece of filth that you were when you adopted N. And he called you 'Father'!"

"I can accept that. My plans may have been thwarted by you, Hilda, Mei, Bianca, Cheren, N and all your Pokémon, twice, but they'll succeed someday. You hear me? Be ready, Rosa! I'm coming for you!"

He turns around and disappears into the shade of the trees. Boy, am I glad _that's_ over. He's one mean dude.


	4. Chapter 4

I walk back to the clearing, feeling ever so much better. But my meeting with Mei has left me with more questions than answers. And I'm still pondering about my ability to speak with the Pokémon. I manage to find Oshawott. "Hey, Oshawott!" I call.

_'What is it, Rosa?'_ Oshawott asks, coming toward me.

"You remember how you said that there's only one person per region who has the power that I have?"

_'Yes, I do.'_

"Well, N can talk to Pokémon. And so can Hilda, for that matter. What's going on?"

_'The three of you were born on the day of a solar and lunar eclipse coinciding.'_

"But, my sister never had it and we were twins."

_'She was born a little bit before the solar and lunar eclipses.'_

"But then, how do N and Hilda have the same power as I do? Weren't they born in Unova too?"

_'No, they weren't. Remember that N was adopted, and Hilda moved here about fourteen years ago from Hoenn. Does it make sense now?'_

"Yes, it does. Thank you. Um… Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott, do you reckon you could make me a travelling outfit?"

_'Sure thing, Rosa!' _exclaimed Snivy.

_'What exactly would you like it to be made up of? Garments, I mean,'_ asked Tepig.

_'And what colours?'_ added Oshawott.

"I would like a pair of faded jeans with a rather wide belt, a hot pink shoulderless and strapless tee-shirt, a Flatcap with a Poké Ball on the front and black high-top Converse sneakers."

_'Come back at sunset. The whole outfit will be ready, along with a backpack and pyjamas.'_

"Thank you very much!"

Just as I turn away, Oshawott calls me._ 'Rosa, Rosa, wait!'_

"What is it?" I ask, surprised.

_'You have the eyes. That's a sign that you have the gift.'_

"The eyes?"

_'That's right. Your eyes are red, green and blue, aren't they?'_

"Yeah…"

_'Only those who have the eyes have the gift. That's one reason why it's so rare. It is clear that you have been chosen. For what, I don't know. But that's all the more reason for you to go and find Mewtwo.'_

"But where could it be?"

_'You may want to try at the Entralink, very near to the Entree.'_

"Thanks." I turn back toward the stream and follow it downstream. Soon, I am feeling very hungry. I come to a grotto and find some berries. Oh, man, how I _loooove_ the Pecha berries! In a few minutes, there are none left on the bush and I am feeling very full. I lie back in some beautiful black, white, orange, blue, green and pink flowers. I wonder if this is where N proposed to Hilda. No, don't think about that! They woulda told me!

I can see that giving in to these thoughts would be useless, but at the same time, they would have. I shake my head vigorously. "No," I say to myself, "that's exactly what Ghetsis wants me to think." He's still the same lying, greedy, worthless, manipulative git as when he adopted N long, long ago.

I eat some other berries, mostly Nanab and Sitrus. The sweet and sour combo sets my mouth watering. I've always been prone to that.

Lying down on my back, I notice the sweet and fresh scents of the flowers around me. "Mewtwo, how do I get to you?"

All of a sudden I hear a voice, calling my name. It doesn't sound like Ghetsis at all. The voice is hard, yet soft, and firm. This voice is as different to Ghetsis's as fire is to water and night is to day and hot is to cold.

I sit up and say, "Here I am."

A Pokémon flies into view. It lands in front of me. I can see that it is rather tall, at least a forty centimetre ruler taller than me. It is lilac and looks very much like a human being, except for the fact that it has a tail and is bald – like, no hair at all. Its chest comes out a little, so combined with a pipe sort of thing at its neck, it looks like a divers' helmet.

I look at the photo still clenched in my hand. I look up at the weird Pokémon. Photo, Pokémon, photo, Pokémon. "Are you Mewtwo?" I finally manage to ask.

In response, it puts its three-fingered hand toward me. I take it and it pulls me up. _'You must be Rosa.'_

I'm shocked into speechlessness. This Pokémon spoke just like an ordinary human being. I merely nod.

_'I am the one who saved you, Rosa. I'm sorry that I couldn't save your sister or parents.'_ It sounds remorseful, and apologetic. It places a hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay, Mewtwo," I choke out. "My sister, Mei, came to me a few hours ago. She told me the meaning of the caption on this photo I took." I show Mewtwo the Polaroid. "This is the very moment of my parents' and sister's murder. It was Ghetsis who killed them."

Long, silent minutes pass. Suddenly, I say "Help me, Mewtwo!"

_'What with?'_

"What the caption is telling me to do." I repeat the poem to Mewtwo.

_'Where's your home, Rosa?'_

"I have no idea. I think my house is in Aspertia Town, but I think I remember walking away from a fire." I close my eyes and am soon bombarded by flames and thick, black smoke. I open my eyes wide. "Oh, shit! The whole friggin' town was on fire! We were all out to celebrate the full moon!"

_'Rosa, let it flow. Don't stop.'_ Mewtwo sits me down on the grass and sits down next to me.

I close my eyes again. "I remember going home after the festival. I had taken my digital Polaroid camera with me, like I always do, to take photos of the moon. Because I had stayed out a little later, Mum, Dad and Mei went home, so I was a little late coming back. But then…" I gasp as the image appears. "The house was on fire… I pushed open the door and saw Mum and Dad and Mei impaled on Ghetsis's cane. Ghetsis was coming toward me, still holding the cane. And then, you appeared, Mewtwo. You should know the rest."

_'I do. After I used Psychic to get you out of there, I teleported the bodies of your family to a safe place, somewhere in Unova but on the very outskirts of the region. I then came back and used Psystrike on Ghetsis. He ran off, but the whole town was burning. People were running, like the blind leading the blind, I'm afraid._

_'I heard a boy and little girl calling your name, Rosa.'_

"Hugh and Isla…"

_'I saw them get out of town, but I'm not entirely sure if they're safe.'_

"Hugh will make sure his sister survives. He will make sure they both survive." Inside, I am not sure. Hugh doesn't like fire – he chose Snivy, so I'm a little worried. Fire-Types and Grass-Types do not mix. I wonder how they're doing.


	5. Chapter 5

Suddenly, I hear a voice. It sounds familiar, for some reason, but I know it is a good familiar. It changes from a deeper voice to a higher voice. I think I know who they are, but I'm still not certain. I catch their conversation.

"Did you hear that Aspertia Town was set on fire the other night, Hilda?" _Hilda._ It must be N and Hilda!

"Unfortunately yes, Cheren… I wonder if Mei and Rosa are alright?" The mere mention of my sister's name brings a sting to my eyes.

"I sure hope so." My heart falls a little.

"Do you know who did it, N?" Now my heart floats again.

There's a long silence. "N?"

"Huh? Sorry, I was lost in thought." The question is repeated. "Yes, unfortunately, I think I know who did it. It was Father."

There are three gasps. "Excuse me for a moment, Mewtwo," I say. I follow the voices to the stream. I catch a glimpse of them through the border of trees that surrounds the meadow. I start to walk again. Faster. Faster. Faster. Until I am running toward the group of four. "Hilda!" I shout.

"Rosa? Or Mei?" she asks, clearly confused.

"Rosa. It's Rosa! You still can't tell us apart!"

"It's very good to see you, Rosa. Where's Mei?"

I crumple in a heap. Tears spring to my eyes yet again, but I can't control it. Hilda sits down next to me, holding me in her arms. My tears soak her denim shirt. "Ghetsis… Mei…" I say in between sobs. "He… Ghetsis… Mei… _gone!_"

"Who's gone, Rosa?" N asks firmly but gently.

"Mei! She's…" I can't bring myself to say it. I know Mei said she'll come to me in a dream, but there's still this ginormous hole in my heart that simply can't be mended.

"Who did it?"

"N knows!" I cry out suddenly, pulling my head out of Hilda's and my embrace to look at N. The one person whom I can count on to be able to understand this grief, besides Hilda, of course.

"Do you, N?" Hilda, Bianca and Cheren ask.

N pales. He turns away toward the stream. His long, tea green hair sways in the slight mid-afternoon breeze. "I didn't think he was that base!" he yells. "He's a git! A horrible, lying, scheming piece of filth! Sure, he adopted me, but he was _using_ me! Whatever he can't use he destroys! Pokémon and human beings included!"

Bianca gasps again and she knocks her glasses askew. Fixing them up she whispers, "Ghetsis?"

I slowly get up and tentatively walk towards N. When I reach him I place my hand on his shoulder, then wrap my arms around his chest. My ear rests against his heart and I hear the thunder of a steam train. This time, his heart is beating with rage, hate and confusion. Rage for what Ghetsis did, hate for being used, confusion for the feelings he has and had for the man he called Father.

N's arms hang in the air awkwardly, like a stranger being hugged by a child. Slowly, he wraps his arms around me too. As he does this, his heartbeat slows rapidly. He runs his fingers through my hair, struggling at the larger knots. "I'm so sorry, Rosa," he whispers. I look up to his strained and tired face.

"Don't be," I whisper back. "You weren't to know what he would do and how far he would go to get revenge." Suddenly, I feel a second pair of arms.

"Honey, she's right," Hilda confirms. It's amazing what she can hold in those arms. I know for a fact that she and N can hold a whole people in their arms when they are united. When they are apart, that people divides and fights amongst itself.

Now I feel a third pair of arms. Bianca. "N, don't blame yourself. None of us could have known."

The last pair of arms encircles us. Cheren. "The good thing about what happened is that Ghetsis is all alone." We all look at him like he just missed a major point. "What? I'm just trying to look on the bright side." We laugh.

We lift each other off of us. "Um, anyway, N, Hilda, can I ask you something? In private?"

"Why can't you ask it in front of Bianca and Cheren?"

"It's about… um… the 'gift'…"

"The 'gift'?"

"The gift of understanding Pokémon speech."

"Lead the way."

I lead N and Hilda to where I was with Mewtwo. It's still there. Behind me, N and Hilda gasp.

"Is – is that – _Mewtwo_?"

"In the flesh," it says.

"Hilda, I can talk to Pokémon. Like you and N. I've been told that only one person per region has this gift and that I'm the person for Unova. Which leads me to ask… where were the both of you born?"

"My mother always told me that I was born in Nuvema Town, but there's a Gym Leader in Kanto who looks rather similar to me, so I'm no longer sure."

"I have absolutely no idea about me. I always knew I was from outside Unova, perhaps even outside of all the other regions, too."

I look down and suddenly notice some jewels on Hilda's finger. "Is that an engagement ring?"

Hilda blushes and leans into N's tall, lanky body. He holds her close and rests his chin on her head. "Yes, it is, Rosa. N proposed just last night, the night of the Aspertia Town fire."

"We tried calling you on the Cross-Transceiver, but no one picked up. We tried calling your home phone, but the nice robot lady said the connection was destroyed. We began to fear the worst."

"Then Ghetsis showed up. If we weren't in the middle of a kiss, I would have gone and kicked him where it really hurt. Ooohh, how I hate him! Thanks to my wonderful Pokémon, he ran away screaming like a little girl."

I giggle. But they fade away. "N, do you have a Town Map?"

"Sure." He lets go of Hilda and rummages through his backpack. "Here." He passes it to me. I search for our location.

"Huh. That's funny."

"What's wrong?"

"The thing says 'Location not found'."


	6. Chapter 6

"If where we are isn't on the map," I say, giving the map back to N, "then where are we?"

"Good question," N answers, scratching his head.

"This is a Hidden Grotto, Rosa, N and Hilda," chimes in Mewtwo.

"Oh! Let's get out of here."

"Good idea, Rosa," says Hilda.

I lead them back out of the grotto.

"Oh, hey, Rosa," calls Hilda from the back of the group.

"Yeah, Hilda?" I answer.

"Where did you get that outfit? It looks gorgeous on you!"

I blush a bit. "Thanks. The Kanto region starter Pokémon made it for me. You know, Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander?"

"I think so… wait, where did this happen?"

"I'll show you when we get back to Cheren and Bianca." Oh boy, I'm getting a little short of breath. Not good. Gee, getting _out_ is so much more difficult than going _in._ Soon, I see Bianca and Cheren. They look a little worried.

I sit down with slight difficulty. This gown is so difficult to move in! Probably why it's tight. The others sit in a circle next to me. I'm between Bianca and Hilda.

"Where on Earth were you?" asks Bianca, placing her arm around me.

"Remember how you showed me those Hidden Grottoes? Well, I found one. Accidentally."

"Ah-ha."

"Hey, Cheren, how long were we in there for?" asks N.

"Oh, only about a minute or so," he answers.

"Wow." Now _that's_ surprising. "Hey guys, can you follow me a bit? I've got something to show you, and we have to get there before dark. It's where I escaped to after… that night." It takes a lot for me to say that. Grief is so terrible. I only experienced it once, when Nate left. He went missing around Lent 2010. After four years, he hasn't come back. His body has never been recovered either. He was my closest cousin and one of my best friends. Aunt Sierra and Uncle Matt still pray for him every morning and night for him to come back home safely. I've convinced myself that he wouldn't be gone that long unless he'd had some sort of trouble. He hasn't called either.

I lead my mentors with me to the clearing I found myself in. Once I reach the river, I'm all good. I found it! I show them around.

"What do you think of my temporary home?" I ask the four of them.

"Ooohh!" exclaims Bianca, her eyes shining and hands clasped in front of her. "Ommigosh! Ommigosh! Ommigosh! This is be-yoo-ti-ful!"

"It's really quite nice," comments Cheren, cleaning his glasses.

"Yeah… it's sweet 'n' simple," chimes in Hilda.

N whispers inaudibly, but I think he's saying that it reminds him of the place where Ghetsis found him as a young child, wandering in the woods.

"Hey, Pokémon!" I call. "I found some friends who could use a place to stay for the night. I want you to meet them!"

Slowly, one by one, the Pokémon all come out. Suddenly, N exclaims, "Hey, it's you!" and points to Tepig. Tepig notices the finger point and runs toward N, who is on his knees with open arms. N catches Tepig and squeezes it so tight it's a miracle it's not suffocating.

"You know this Tepig, N?" asks Hilda.

"How?" I ask. "When? Where?"

"Yeah. It was Tepig whom I found when I was cast out of my community thirteen years ago. I'll give you the full story at dinner time."

* * *

><p>Thank you all for sticking with me! Please enjoy the rest of this story as Rosa copes with her grief and comes up with numerous plans for getting Ghetsis out of the way – permanently.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Tepig comes up to me holding a hat, shoes and backpack. Snivy and Oshawott follow suit with a pair of jeans and T-shirt. "Wow, this looks great!" I exclaim to the Pokémon.

_'__We're glad you like it, Rosa,'_ replies Tepig, running back to N once I grab my new outfit.

"I'll go get changed. Everyone, go to the stream. I'll tap you on the shoulders when I'm done. Kay?"

"Sure," the humans answer, leaving me with the Pokémon.

I strip and give the gown to Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. I pull on the jeans and shirt. The top of the shirt has some elastic in it so it doesn't fall down. The elbow length sleeves are wide and slashed with a black fabric that hugs my body. I sit down and find the sneakers have some socks in them. I pull them on. The socks are pink (my favourite colour) and very thick. There is no way I am getting blisters with these things on! I quickly get the black Converse high-ankle sneakers on and tie the laces in a double knot. I look at the design on the Flatcap and see that it is the Poké Ball that I asked for. I ask Snivy to quickly do my hair in two high pigtails. I put on the cap and grab the backpack when she's done and head back out to the group.

I tap their shoulders, saying, "What do you think?"

They turn around and stare at me. I do a little pose. "Well?"

"It looks great on you, Rosa," answers Hilda.

"I agree," says Bianca.

"Are you sure that's casual?" asks Cheren. I giggle.

"Dude, as long as it's comfy, it's all G!"

"If you say so…" I sigh at his aversion to all things fashion. But, then again, he _is_ a guy. They're supposed to be like that.

N merely smiles. "You remind me of my sisters when they were your age."

I blush at the compliment. "Thanks, N. Let's go back to the clearing. I have an announcement."

When we get there, I suddenly notice that it's almost dusk.

"Wow, it got late fast!" I exclaim.

"Sure did," N replies. "How 'bout I make dinner tonight. What do you say?"

"Yes, please!" we answer in unison.

N pulled some cooking equipment and ingredients from his backpack. I take the opportunity to ask where everyone is going.

"We're headed to the Pokémon League to meet with Gary, Lance, Steven, Wallace, Cynthia, Alder and Iris about the recent incidences in Unova," Hilda answers. "These happenings have gotten out of hand."

"In fact, just last week, a tsunami hit Castelia City," adds in Cheren. "I highly doubt that it was a natural occurrence, considering that there are no fault lines near Unova on the geological map, and that the city was the only place affected."

"I think I remember seeing that live on the news at the Pokémon Centre," I say, playing with my long pigtails. "I asked Nurse Joy and Audino what was happening. They said that only one place hadn't been affected at that time – guess which town it was."

"Okay, I think we've established the fact that Ghetsis has a plan." I glance at N. He's dicing onions like there's no tomorrow and I'm a little worried. He's been… well… different. Although I didn't really know him before the incident at the Giant Chasm, I got more than a basic understanding and knowledge of what he is like. He is strong and brave and smart. For that, I love him like I would an older brother.

"Honey, don't worry. Let's just finish filling Rosa in on this, okay?"

"Sure, Hilda." Hilda kisses N on the cheek. He blushes a little. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Rosa, there are many more places that have been affected. The whole Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova regions have been almost utterly destroyed."

"You're kidding!" I gasp.

"Nope. The only places left are the Pokémon Leagues. Even Nuvema Town is ruined. I think I know who did it all."

"If he did something large scale within Unova twice, there is no way he'll stop at just Unova. He wants the world. And I betcha he'll use _us_ to get at it. Ugh, I hate, _hate_, HATE him!" That guy just makes me go nuts! I have a thousand questions I want to ask him, but I know that N will kill him before I get the chance. I know where he'll go. Straight down to Hell.

"Exactly. That's why we're helping everyone affected in the Unova region. Dawn, Lucas and Barry will take care of Sinnoh; May and Brendan will take care of Hoenn; Ethan, Kris, Lyra and Silver will look after Johto; and Red and Green will look after Kanto. Ash will be coming around to each affected region weekly, and he'll know what to do. In fact, we should be meeting him, Cilan and Iris in Nimbasa City next week."

"Can I come?"

"Of course!"

"Can I bring all the starters along with me? They have been so kind to me, and I want to repay them."

"I don't see why not."

"Hold on," I suddenly realise Cheren's here too. Oops. Some friend I am.

"What is it, Cheren?" asks Bianca.

"You're forgetting one thing. How many Pokémon can we take with us?"

"Six," we all answer at once.

"And how many are there of us?"

"Five."

"How many starter Pokémon are there?"

"Fifteen."

"Aah. So we'll all take three. Dibs the Unova starters!" I ran over to where Snivy, Oshawott and Tepig were all seated.

"But you'll have to catch them. I doubt you have any Poké Balls on you."

I hate admitting that Cheren is right. I left all my Pokémon and Poké Balls back in my room. But I know my bedside table is completely fireproof. Still, I have no idea where we are and Aspertia City – or what's left of it – could be miles away.

"Ten minutes till dinner!" N says suddenly as I am jolted back to Earth. "Can someone please help me with setting up the table?"

"Sure. Where is it?" I ask. N points to his backpack which is now on the ground. I pull out the table with a little difficulty. Cheren helps me to open it up and set it down. I look in the bag once again to find heaps of Pokémon food bowls, human crockery and cutlery. "Did you bring enough stuff for an army, N?" I joke.

"Very funny, Rosa."

I smile as I set the table. I'll ask if we can go to Aspertia City in the morning. In the meantime, though, I have to know about how N met Tepig.


	8. Chapter 8

I thank N as he places my dinner down in front of me. "Mmm," I murmur when I set my eyes on the dish. Yay! Veggies! And lots of 'em! And in the middle of the plate is a sushi roll, but I don't think it's any sort of fish in there. It's red and meaty. "What do you call this, N?" I ask.

"Bolognaise Sushi," he answers as he sits down, placing his napkin on his lap with a flourish. "Bon appetite."

I have no idea how to eat this. I can see the fork, knife and spoon next to my plate, but after a mere two days in the wilderness, I have almost forgotten how to use them. Must've bumped my head pretty hard when Mewtwo threw me out of the room. Speaking of Mewtwo, I have no idea where it's gone. It must have disappeared when I left the grotto. Now I have to find it all over again. Then again, it found me.

I pick up my fork tentatively. I look around and copy Hilda. It's starting to come back, now. I start eating the veggies with gusto. "Yum!" I say in between mouthfuls. When I finish on the veggies I say "This is delish!"

N laughs. "Slow down, Rosa!"

I give the sushi a try. "Oh, yum!" I am instantly transported to a place that I like to call Food Heaven. I finish in a few minutes. "You said that you were gonna tell us about Tepig, right, N?" I ask when I see that he has finished, too.

"Hm." N closes his eyes. "Let's see… it was about sixteen years ago, now. I was in the woods after having been cast out of my village because they were afraid of my powers. You must understand that they were very, very superstitious. They thought that because I could talk to Pokémon, I was some sort of demon. They tried to kill me by sending me to a cave and causing an avalanche."

"No!" I gasp.

"The answer is yes, I'm afraid. Anyway, I was alone and freezing in the cave, and thinking that I was about to die. Suddenly, I heard this scratching sound from the blocked entrance. I heard a voice belonging to an Emboar. It told me to stand back as it was going to melt the snow. The snow, rock and ice was sent flying further into the cave and I was saved. There was an Emboar, a Pignite, and a Tepig.

"However, I wasn't out of the woods yet. I had hypothermia so I had to be taken back down the mountain. Back to my village.

"When they saw me, everyone was livid and afraid. Then I saw my real parents. They were tied up and being led to an unlit bonfire. I screamed out 'Mother! Father!' but by then it was too late. They were tied to the stake and everyone else made me watch. 'This is what you get for being different!' they scorned. The smell of burning flesh and the sounds of screaming filled the air. I wanted to put them out of their misery, but I couldn't. I didn't know how.

"I don't know how long they burned alive, but I do know that they were reduced to mere ash in the morning. I was in a state of shock for months. The Pokémon told me that I kept saying one word at night – Natural. And it became my name. Tepig was my only source of friendship. Pignite was like an older sister and Emboar became my mother. They loved me a lot.

"Then, one day, when I was four, Pignite and Emboar were caught by hunters. Tepig and I tried to save them, but we couldn't stand up to the evil men. They took my new family away from me.

"When I turned six, Ghetsis entered my life. You'd be surprised, but he was actually like a father to me. He made Tepig leave our underground home. I cried for hours on end when he told me that Tepig had caught a fever and died.

"Once I had gotten over my grief, Ghetsis surrounded me with Pokémon who had been abused or abandoned, and I met my foster sisters, Anthea and Concordia. They were so kind to me… I hope they have left the castle.

"Then, when I was fourteen, I became king of Team Plasma. I decided that I would go out on a journey across Unova. I started off in Accumula Town, where I met Hilda and Cheren. And the rest is history."

* * *

><p>To all my readers, I apologise for the lack of new lines, so to speak, in Chapters 7 and 8. I only noticed my error on 83/14. I do hope you don't mind.


	9. Chapter 9

Dinner is finished, as is the washing up, and we've all bathed in the stream. I'm in new pyjamas, made by the Johto starters this time, and we're all lying in hammocks made by the Hoenn starters, with soft blankets made by the Sinnoh starters covering us. My head is whirling. N nearly died when he was little. He watched his parents burn at the stake, while he did nothing. He let his Pokémon mother and sister be taken away. I sure hope they're still alive, but then again, if they are… they could be being forced by those hunters right this second.

"Rosa, are you awake?" asks N next to me.

"Yeah," I mumble groggily.

"I'm sorry if my past makes you feel so… saddened."

"No, no, it's alright, honestly. It was something I needed to hear."

"Now, I'm guessing you want to kill Ghetsis more than ever."

"You could say that. But I know it's you who'll be doing that. He raised you, used you and then betrayed you. But if you can't, I promise to be your back-up plan. You can trust us, N. We're your family as well as Anthea and Concordia. By the way, what happened to your village?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Please?"

"Fine. My village… there was a fire in the night. There were no survivors."

"I'm – I'm really sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. I can't say they deserved it, but…"

"I understand."

"What's going on?" yawns Hilda from somewhere next to me.

"Oh, nothing, Hilda. Listen, can I ask you to take me to my old home back in Aspertia Town in the morning? I need to get my Pokémon."

"Sure."

Hilda yawns again and starts to snore. "Good luck livin' with that, N," I giggle.

"Ha, ha."

"Uh… d'you reckon that in the morning you could let Zekrom out of its Poké Ball? I need to ask it something."

"No probs. I'll even get Hilda to let out Reshiram for you, alright?" N yawns and starts snoring loudly.

"Thanks." I yawn and look up at the stars. There's a beautiful and bright constellation, with some of the most colourful stars in existence. The seven main stars (including the ones pointing to it) are really bright gold. Four of them make the shape of a cross, like what they did to Christians in the Roman era, and another just inside the shape is a smaller star. All of a sudden, I see many, many more stars in the shape of a man. He is really beautiful. But he looks like he's dead! There's a crown of silver thorns around his bent head and his chiselled body is so relaxed and tense at the same time that it makes me want to cry.

I suddenly realise who this man is. It's the Lord Jesus! His eyes are now opening, revealing miniscule blue green stars and he lifts His head up and smiles at me.

"Rosa," He says, gently. "I am here for you always. Your Guardian Angels will help also. If you live your life to the full, nothing can stop you."

"But what about Ghetsis?" I ask tentatively. "He is the very embodiment of evil!"

"Let N deal with that man. You have places to go, don't you?"

"Yes, My Lord. I have to go to Aspertia Town. And then to Undella Town." I don't want to leave anything out. "Um… where am I at the moment?"

"You are now in Pinwheel Forest."

"Pinwheel Forest?" I ask, disbelief drenching my tone. "Forgive me if I am struggling to believe that. Wow… so Mewtwo took me all the way to Pinwheel Forest. Uh-oh."

"You're worried that you won't get out, right?"

"Yeah."

"We will be your guides. Trust in Me and I will deliver. I promise."

"Thanks."

"Now, I believe your sister wants to tell you something. Time for you to sleep."

"Okay…" I yawn and roll over, fast asleep.

I open my eyes to find myself in N's castle. Anthea and Concordia are watching over me. I sit bolt upright.

"Hello, Rosa," says Anthea.

"You have no need to fear us," adds Concordia.

"Why am I here in N's castle?"

"This is the dream landscape in which your sister chose to speak to you."

"We will take you to the throne room." Concordia gives me her hand. I take it and she pulls me gently out of bed. "Follow us."

Concordia lets go of my hand and she and Anthea lead me through many, many twisting and winding tunnels. I am very surprised.

"Anthea, I thought that this castle was totally destroyed by Reshiram and Zekrom's battle," I say. Though I wasn't there at the time, I went two years after, and the place was absolutely and utterly decimated.

"This is your sister's dream landscape, remember? This is what she imagined the castle would have been like in its glory days."

"Not that there _were_ any," I hear Concordia mutter.

"We're nearly there."

Just as Anthea says that, we go past N's old room. It's absolutely demolished. I feel so sorry for N sometimes. It's not fair that he should have to go through something like that!

Anthea and Concordia stop suddenly in front of a heavily polished oaken door. "You will be the one to open this door, Rosa. Knock and the door shall open for you." They move aside and disappear in beautiful columns of pink and yellow light.

I knock with a _rat-a-tat-tat_ rhythm. The door slowly squeaks open. When the door is fully open, I see my sister standing before the hole Zekrom made four years ago.

I want to run towards her, but I decide against it. Instead, I settle for walking slowly to her side. Mei is singing something that sounds like it's in a different language.

_Mellee, mellee,_

_Karnamarya._

_Mellee, mellee,_

_Rosa, Mei._

Now I can understand it all of a sudden.

_Sisters, sisters,_

_Can't be kept apart._

_Sisters, sisters,_

_Rosa, Mei._

It's a beautiful song, and I feel power from her voice coursing through my veins. Mei stops singing all of a sudden and I feel as though I could conquer the world. I don't really want all that power though. It's enough for me to have Pokémon.

"Rosa, all I am allowed to tell you is that you _must_ come to N's castle and the Giant Chasm," my sister doesn't turn her head as she says this.

"Any specific order?" I ask.

"Yes. The castle is the number one priority. You'll be able to find Nate here."

"_Nate_?!" I ask incredulously. I haven't heard from or seen my cousin in four years.

"Yes." Mei turns around to face me. She looks so sad.

"What's wrong?"

Mei shakes her head, her brunette locks shimmering in the light. "Be prepared for an unpleasant surprise. Rosa, this is the last time you'll be able to see me face to face in a dream like this."

"No!" I cry.

"You'll be able to see me in dreams, but you won't be able to talk to me. Only when you have Nate with you will you be able to talk to me."

"I want to stay a little longer."

"It's nearly sunrise. If you don't go back to the real world, you'll be stuck here forever. _Without_ me."

I hug my sister urgently. I have no idea how long we stay in that embrace, but I think it has been a few hours. I pull away. "Goodbye, Mei. See you soon."

"Bye."

Reality is a harsh eye opener.


	10. Chapter 10

When I wake, Zekrom is standing over me. His red eyes bore into mine, as though he is searching for something. _'You needed to talk?'_ he asks me, offering his hand, or wing, or whatever it is!

"Yes, thank you," I take it and Zekrom pulls me up out of the hammock. Zekrom lets go of my hand and leads me out of the clearing and to the stream where Reshiram is already waiting. Reshiram turns around and Zekrom stands next to her. The sight makes my breath catch in my throat. The two of them look so beautiful that a sudden urge to lie prostrate to them nearly takes over me. I restrain myself, because the last time someone did that, the two Pokémon nearly killed them. They become embarrassed by a show of submission.

_'Good morning, Rosa,'_ says Reshiram. Her voice is silky smooth, and I can almost taste the honey leeching out from it. _'I trust you slept well?'_

"Yeah, I did. Reshiram, you probably know Hilda better than anyone… is she hiding a secret?"

Reshiram's sky blue eyes look straight into my fire red, ocean blue and grass green ones. _'She is.'_

"What is this secret?" She doesn't answer. "Please? I promise I won't tell."

_'She has a brother. A twin.'_

"A twin brother?" I ask, incredulous and curious.

She nods. _'His name is Hilbert. He went missing around the same time as your cousin, Nate.'_

"Wow. I had no idea!"

_'Zekrom and I think that Hilbert has been captured by the remnants of Team Plasma. He and Nate could be being used for some evil, heinous plan right this second.'_

"Do the two of you think that this could have something to do with Ghetsis's plan?" I whisper. Bad news is the last thing that I need.

Reshiram looks at Zekrom as if she wants him to say the next bit. He picks up on the message. _'Rosa… Nate and Hilbert have powers, too,'_ Zekrom sighs as he places a large hand on my relatively small shoulder. It's incredibly heavy.

"Are those powers being used for destruction?"

_'If they were the cause of such widespread yet localised devastation, then, yes,'_ Reshiram states this as if it's a fact that has been scientifically proven to be correct, but I can hear the silk tearing apart, and it's not a pretty sound.

We are silent for a few minutes. I move close to Reshiram. She allows me to jump onto her beautiful, swan-white neck.

_'Did you dream about Mei last night?'_ Reshiram asks.

I'm slightly surprised that they are asking this. "Yes. We have to go to N's castle, and then the Giant Chasm. She says that I'll be able to find Nate at the castle, but…"

_'But?'_

"I need to prepare for a nasty surprise."

Reshiram and Zekrom look at each other.

"What is it? You two are never like this, even _I_ know, and I don't know you guys that well."

_'Ghetsis… was planning something even madder than using N to rule Unova. Madder even than making us one with Kyurem.'_

_'Nate and Hilbert have powers more amazing and frightening than N's, Hilda's and yours,'_ Zekrom chimes in.

"Tell me, what can they do?" I ask, moving down to Reshiram's shoulder.

_'I saw only glimpses, but it's like… like they can create and destroy at will.'_

I nearly fall off, but Reshiram steadies me. "I don't believe it," I whisper hoarsely.

_'You have no choice. Soon, nowhere will be untouched by their destructive powers. Undella Town is the only place left. That's why everyone is meeting there.'_

"Ghetsis exists simply to get on our nerves. He's just like a mosquito, biting in all the places we can't reach. Well, I'm sick of it. I am going to put him in a glass, and let N kill him."

_'That's the spirit, Rosa.'_

"Let's go back."

I lead the way back to the clearing. When I go through the trees the smell of bacon, eggs and sausages wafts its way into my nose. N's cooking for us again. His cooking smells _so_ delicious! I think I remember once, he, Cilan and another guy called Brock, had a cooking contest. They had to cook a five course meal for Ash and his old travelling companions, Misty, Max, May, Dawn and Iris. They were so good they gave each other a run for their money. In the end, Brock came out on top, with N a close second, and Cilan, unfortunately, last. The competition was held in a Pokémon Centre here in Unova, so Brock went crazy over Nurse Joy. If it weren't for the combined strength of Misty, Max and Brock's trusty Croagunk, Nurse Joy would have been on an awkward date.

Anyway, everyone is sitting down at the table, eating breakfast. Hilda has given out some Pokémon food for all the Pokémon there. And there is a lot. There's Bianca's Emboar, Escavalier, Minccino and Munna, Cheren's Herdier and Serperior, Hilda's Samurott, Stoutland, Simisage, Watchog, Reshiram and Unfeazant, N's Carracosta, Vanilluxe, Archeops, Zoroark, Klinklang and of course, Zekrom. There's also all the region starters. I feel a sharp pang in my chest. I really miss my own Pokémon. I know I caught Kyurem, but I don't remember my other Pokémon. I think I left them all in the drawer of my bedside table, but I'm not sure I'll remember which house is mine. I'm worried about them.

"Hey, Rosa, what's up?" asks Bianca.

"Oh, nothing," I answer blankly.

"I've seen that look in your eyes before. Something happened, but I'll let you tell us in your own time, alright?"

"Thanks, Bianca."

"Here's some breakfast for you, Rosa," says N, handing me a plate piled high with mashed potato, a couple of soft-boiled eggs, slightly burnt sausages, crisp bacon and buttered toast.

"Wow, N, this looks divine! There's enough to feed an army with all this!"

I sit down next to Hilda. "So, you ready to go back to Aspertia Town?" she asks.

"I guess as ready as I'll ever be." I get started on my breakfast. Within ten minutes, I'm absolutely finished.

"How was your conversation with Reshiram and Zekrom?"

"It was good. I'll tell you all about it on the way to Aspertia. You may wanna be prepared for a surprise… a nasty surprise."

I get up and take all the dishes to the stream to wash.

"No, no, let me do that, Rosa, it's my turn anyway," says Cheren, coming over to me with a scrubbing brush and rubber gloves.

"Thanks, Cheren." I head back to the clearing and all the Pokémon have gone back into their Poké Balls, except for Reshiram. Hilda is already sitting in a niche on the beautiful dragon's swan-white neck. Reshiram bends down to allow me to climb into the same spot. "See you all later!" I call, as Reshiram's gorgeous white wings lift us up into the air.


	11. Chapter 11

Pinwheel Forest disappears quickly. We are flying higher into the clouds. Reshiram sends up a Fusion Flare to dissipate the clouds. Soon, I see the beautiful deep blue sea below me. My hair is whipping back behind me and my heart is singing at the thought of seeing my dearly beloved Pokémon again soon. I love them as if they are my family – scratch that, they _are_ my family now.

We are now above the clouds. Reshiram suddenly begins to dive and I quickly lean forward to hold onto Hilda. Reshiram lands with a little bump. I slide off of her and my bare feet touchdown on blackened pavers. The town is absolutely destroyed. There are no more houses, just charred and blackened sticks that make the frame of a house. The townsfolk have run away, but here and there, I see mangled bodies.

I sob and run into Hilda's arms. "I didn't think it would be like this!" I cry.

"Come on, Rosa, you can do this," Hilda comforts gently. "We just have to control our tears, get your Pokémon and then we can go. Are you up for this?"

I give an imperceptible nod and pull away. "Let's find my Pokémon!"

I go around town, picking my way carefully. I look in the first house and tentatively step inside. I gasp. There's a boy inside. It looks like he's dead! I walk a little closer. He hasn't been burned. That's odd. I take a few steps closer to him and kneel next to him, soot staining my pink cotton pyjamas. He's breathing.

The boy opens his eyes and sits up. "Rosa, is that you?" he asks.

"Caleb?"

He shakes his head. "It's me, Zorua." He transforms right before my eyes. Instead of a handsome boy, I see a foxy little Pokémon.

"Zorua!" I cry, grabbing him in a bear hug. "I haven't seen you in forever! How are you? Oops." I let go a little because Zorua is suffocating.

"I'm alright, thanks. But what happened to you? I haven't seen you since the full moon fest."

I explain what happened to Zorua. Including that no-good, waste of space and precious oxygen, Ghetsis.

"Ooohh, he makes me so mad!"

"I know. I wish I were a Pokémon like you so I can use really, really strong moves on him!"

"What are you doing in there, Rosa?" calls Hilda.

"I found a friend from my travelling days."

Hilda comes inside. When Zorua sees her, he jumps out of my grasp and runs to Hilda. "I've missed you so much, Hilda! It's so good to see you!"

Hilda laughs. "It's great to see you, too, Zorua!"

"Zorua, how come you're out of your Poké Ball?" I ask.

"Someone opened the bedside table drawer and released me."

"Wha–" I gasp. "You've been released?"

"Uh-huh. But I want you to catch me again! Please?"

"Of course I will, Zorua. Just as soon as I get my other Pokémon, okay?"

"Okay!"

I move around the house, soot digging into my feet. I'm trying to uncover a staircase, but I know it'll be useless here.

"We'll have to try the next house."

And so we try again. And again. And again. Until finally, we come to the last house. It's double-storey and the staircase is untouched. I walk inside and see blood on the sooty floor. "This was my house," I say, tears threatening to break through. "This is where Ghetsis murdered my family." I close my eyes and see the four of us at the beach, happy and smiling. That's a real memory of when we were at Undella Town for the summer last year. I walk to where the TV cabinet should be and pick up a burnt photo frame with an intact photo of me and Mei in our Pokémon Trainer School uniforms on our first day. That was taken about eleven years ago now.

"It's kinda hard to believe that this place was ruined only a few short days ago, isn't it?" Hilda asks, breaking through my thoughts. I give her a look that makes her apologise for the insensitivity of that question.

I turn my eyes back to the photo. Our school uniform was a simple white and orange tartaned button-up shirt with black and blue checked pleated skirts (for the girls) or knee-length permanent-crease shorts (for the boys). We had to wear grey socks that went up to the knees and black shoes. And that was for the start of the year. I don't remember what they made us wear for winter, though.

I smile when I remember the grief that Mei and I caused the teachers. The teachers made us wear nametags from the start of the day to the end because we looked so similar. I remember that we used to switch the tags when we got to school, then changed them back at breaks and when the last bell went. That all changed when the former Pokémon Champion, Alder, became our headmaster in our last two years of schooling by the book.

He wasn't fooled by our games. I remember I was wearing Mei's tag, and she mine, when we first met Alder. He took one look at our tags, then us, and switched them back. "I know your names, Rosa and Mei," he said gruffly, putting his giant hands on our heads. "I know which of you is which. The teachers here have been struggling for years to figure you out. Don't do it anymore, okay?"

"We promise," we said in unison. When his back was turned, we gave each other that look. I hope you know what I mean. The look you give and receive when you are conspiring something.

"I saw that!" he called.

We gave each other a worried look.

"And you should be!"

We both thought that he had eyes in the back of his head.

The bell rang and we ran off to our class. We quickly switched the tags, but we weren't counting on our teacher being away and Alder filling her place. He looked at the tags, sighed and switched them back. "Come to my office when the morning tea bell goes today."

That class was somewhat subdued. Everyone was excited by the prospect of a new teacher. But Mei and I were nervous for what morning tea would bring.

The bell went and we followed Alder to his office after the class was dismissed. There was a large, ornate mahogany desk with intricate designs and patterns in the centre of the office. He had a beautiful name plaque on the desk with his name written in stunning calligraphy and a large desk calendar. He also had one of those newfangled laptops which you can take the screen off.

He went to look out the large window, which had a view of all of Aspertia and Virbank City, all the way up to Castelia City. "Sit," he ordered, gesturing to two chairs with simple beauty in front of the desk. We sat. "Mei, Rosa, I am not happy with this behaviour. Every single report card you had states 'Rosa and Mei have so much potential, but it seems that potential is being wasted on making our lives a misery.'" He tutted as he turned around to sit at his desk. "When are the two of you going to learn that your antics could inhibit your life? How are you going to be Pokémon Trainers if you don't want to learn anything?"

He struck a nerve there. "Of course we want to learn!" I cried.

"Your grades tell me the complete opposite, Rosa."

"But you said yourself earlier today that the teachers can't figure out which of us is which!" said Mei.

"Hmm. That _does_ present a challenge." He was silent for a moment. Then without warning, he bellowed "Eureka!" at the top of his lungs.

"What is it, Sir?" Mei and I asked in unison.

"Mei, could you come to school tomorrow with your hair in either a bun or a ponytail?"

"Sure thing!"

"And Rosa, can you come to school tomorrow with your hair in buns on either side of your head with some hair hanging down?"

"I'd love to!"

"If you do this, you can ditch the nametags. But if you continue to confuse your teachers with your antics, I'm afraid I'll have to computerise your nametags so you can't take them off during school time ever again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear," we said together.

Hilda's hand on my shoulder jolts me back to reality. "That's a beautiful shot," she says, looking over my shoulder. "Your first day of Trainer School, right?"

"Yeah." I take a closer look at the photo. Even I can't tell us apart! Then I notice the nametags. Ah. I'm the girl on the left with my arm around Mei.

I look on the cabinet for a photo of my parents' wedding. There are two of them. One with Mum and Dad signing the papers and the other with their arms around each other in a romantic kiss. I find another photo, this time of all four of us at Undella Bay two years ago. I'm wearing a black bikini with little blue jewels sewn all over and Mei is wearing a white bikini with orange wave patterns on it. Mum's wearing a blue one piece swimsuit that brings out her eyes and combines well with her bright yellow hair. And Dad is being stupid by wearing boardies that would look good on a two-year-old and a rubber ducky floaty. I chuckle when I remember how my Swanna pierced the floaty and he zoomed through the air. That was the day we got back from our journey, the day we became the Champions. Because of that, those four shots are pictures that I am _not_ leaving behind.

"Hilda, can you hold these photos for a sec? I'm going to see if I can get to my room."

"I wanna come!" whines Zorua, grabbing onto my ankle.

I bend down and pick Zorua up. "Sorry, Zorua, it's a family reunion sort of thing." I give him to Hilda. "Be a good boy, alright?"

"Fine."

* * *

><p>So Rosa finally manages to get to her old home and find some memories she thought were lost forever.<p>

To be honest, I'm kinda surprised at how I wrote her memories. I laughed when I wrote the story of Mei and Rosa's first encounter with Alder and the girls and their parents at the beach. I love writing this story and sharing it with all you guys.

This story is a two-way street. At the moment, it sorta feels like you're all stuck in a traffic jam while I'm zooming ahead. So please, do the 3 R's: **R**ead, **R**ate, and **R**eview.

Also, I just realised that I described Mum as a blonde. For some reason, on my copy of Black 2 Game Mom's hair was blonde (that's the name I'll give her when I do these Author Notes). And not just blonde but really bright yellow. Like the yellow on the colour wheel when you're learning the primary colours. Weird, right?


	12. Chapter 12

Nothing can prepare me for the steps I am about to take. I slowly walk up the stairs, almost afraid they're going to break on me any second. This is the biggest thing I have done on my own ever in my sixteen years of life. Bigger even than choosing my own Pokémon. Bigger than catching and saving Kyurem.

Up till now, I have always done major things like this with my sister._ Mei_. She was always there for me when I had doubts. I am now on my own and I'm not used to it. Before we moved to Aspertia, we used to live in White Forest, where we were rather poor. In fact, we were so poor that Mei and I had to sleep in the same bed. That is, until we moved when Dad got a job here in Aspertia.

I always used to think how lucky I was to have a bed to sleep in, fresh food to eat, a roof over my head, clean clothes to wear, shoes and socks to keep my feet warm, electricity for light and clean, running water to drink. We were one of the luckier families in White Forest.

I take a deep breath. One step at a time. Memories come flooding back as I put a foot on each stair. The day I received Oshawott from Bianca. The day I first battled with my own Pokémon. The day Team Plasma came and plonked their daggy pirate suits and orange hair where they didn't belong. The day I first met Hilda. The day I first heard N's voice. The day Mei and I saved Reshiram and Zekrom. And the day Mei and I became the Pokémon Champions.

Cinders dig into my skin when I reach the top. At the end of the hall, there's a fire still burning. I almost go to touch it, but then I realise that fire burns. I learned that the hard way when I put my hands in the fire back in White Forest. I don't think my hands have fully recovered yet, even though we had countless appointments to cure them. Maybe I should ask an Audino at a Pokémon Centre to use Heal Pulse on me. But I've adjusted to having them like this, and I've figured it all out.

Next to the fire is a door. I open the door and find my room is ruined. Except for the bedside table. I run to it, pull the drawer open and see all my eight Poké Balls are still there. I grab them and hold them close to my heart.

"Oh, Pokémon!" I whisper, tears of happiness flowing freely. "I missed you so much! Let's get out of here."

I run back to the staircase to find that it has crumbled away to ash and soot. "Shit," I mutter. The Poké Balls rattle at my poor language use. "Sorry."

"Er… Hilda?" I call.

Hilda runs over to where the stairs should have been. "Ah. Tell me how I didn't notice that." She grabs one of her Poké Balls from her pocket. She enlarges it, throws it up in the air and calls out "Come on out, Samurott, we need your help!" Bright, white energy comes out of the Poké Ball and quickly forms the shape of a Pokémon. In less than a second, Samurott is standing there, right in front of Hilda.

_'What do you need me for, Hilda?'_ she asks. Then she takes in her surroundings. _'Gosh. What in the world happened here?'_

"Ghetsis happened," says Hilda, reaching out to pat her Pokémon, the friend whom she chose.

_'Typical.'_

"Samurott, Rosa's upstairs and, like a newly hatched Meowth up a tree, can't get back down. Could you jump up and bring her back down?"

_'Sure. Stand back, Rosa.'_ I obey and Samurott jumps right in front of me. She turns around. _'Hop on.'_

I obey again. Samurott jumps and I clutch onto her deep blue fur with my free hand. Briefly, I feel weightless. Then gravity kicks in. Again.

_Again?_ Then I remember the photo Mei and I got from the Nimbasa City Rollercoaster, the former Electric-Type Gym. Our faces were contorted in masks of sheer terror when we did the Loop-the-Loop. I think Mei was sick when we got outside. Most terrifying experience of my entire life. Before the fire, of course.

I get off feeling a tad dizzy. My knees buckle beneath me as I clutch my Poké Balls tightly. I stand up. "Hilda, let's go back to Pinwheel Forest."

"Alright!"

We head back outside, me clutching my Poké Balls and the photos I found earlier. Zorua is now a human being, the same handsome, red and black haired boy from the first house and Samurott is still out of her Poké Ball. When we get outside, we find Reshiram lying down on the blackened ground and holding her shoulder. Hilda gasps and runs over to the legendary Pokémon. "Reshiram, what happened to you?" she cries, rubbing Reshiram's shoulder.

_'It's Hugh!'_ Reshiram whispers. _'He ran off to where the Pokémon Centre was.'_ The Pokémon's giant head lolls to the side in a dead faint.

Hilda grabs out Reshiram's Poké Ball. "Return and take a good rest." She puts it back in her pocket and grabs Samurott's one too. "You, too, Samurott."

"Let's go," I say, turning to Hilda. We nod and start running, me in the lead.

More than once I nearly trip on stones and splinters dig into my skin. My feet hurt and I know I can't keep running for much longer.

Finally, we get there. The Centre has been burned down, like the rest of the town, but there's a temporary healing facility there set up under a marquee. Standing just in front of the desk is a lone figure. I know who he is immediately. I know the spiky navy back of the boy's head like the back of my hand.

Marching up toward him, I yell, "Hugh, what in the world do you think you are doing?"

Hugh turns around. "Stand back, Rosa," he says, his blank red eyes looking straight at me. I gasp and stumble back.

I steel myself again and rush forward to grab his shoulder, my other arm still clutching the photos and Poké Balls. "Snap out of it, Hugh!" I cry, shaking him like a rag doll and slapping him like a naughty child.

My actions seem to enrage him.

"Rosa, I'd hoped that it would not come to this, but you leave me no choice." He grabs hold of my wrist and it burns so badly I feel as though it's on fire. I yelp and cry out, kicking and screaming. I drop my photos and Poké Balls.

"No!" I cry.

Hugh drags me along to a little alcove that seems untouched by fire. We go straight through it.

Oh no. We're in the bathrooms. I think I know what'll happen.

Hugh starts to unzip his jacket and lets it slide down on the floor. He starts to reach for the drawstring of his trousers when I kick him where it hurts. He yells in pain and drops to his knees, wincing and crying. _Cry-baby_, I think.

I seize the opportunity to run. "Hugh, sorry, mate, you're on your own."

Tears stream from my face as I run back to Hilda. My best friend, my _only_ childhood friend, besides Nate, has been hypnotised. What on Earth am I going to do now? Why was Mei so vague?

I run straight into Hilda's waiting arms. "Hugh was going to rape me!" I yell, over and over again. I'm frightened and all alone in this world. I cry for what seems like hours when I hear a voice. It's gentle and caresses me like my parents did. "Rosa, what happened?"

I lift my head and see, out of the corner of my eye, Hugh coming toward me. I shriek and shrink back, demanding him to go away.

"Why would you be unhappy to see your best friend?"

"You tried to rape me!"

Hugh's face turns ashen. Then he sits down and holds his head in his hands. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" he whispers, repeating the same thing over and over again. He looks up at me. Seeing my enraged eyes, he says, "Ghetsis inserted this chip into my brain the night of the fire. Whenever I see destruction, I am under his grasp, helpless to defy his orders. Please, forgive me."

I pull away from Hilda and run over to Hugh. I kneel down in front of him and hold onto his strong, broad shoulders. "Hugh," I say firmly, but not unkindly, "I will always forgive you for anything, but you were really testing the limits here. I forgive you, but I will never forget what you tried to do to me, hypnotised or not. If you had gone all the way, our friendship would be over and I would never forgive you or forget what you would have done. Thankfully, you didn't go there, and I know I'm asking for a miracle here, knowing Ghetsis, but please try and control it!" I hug him and he hugs me back, his strong arms encircling me, filling me with a strength I didn't know existed.

"When all this is over, could you take me to a hospital to get this thing removed?" he whispers. "I would hate for our relationship to be tainted by this."

"Of course! In fact, I hear that the Pewter City Gym Leader, Brock, has a brother who is an experienced brain surgeon. Maybe I could ask him directly to come over here and perform that surgery."

"That would be awesome."


	13. Chapter 13

"Hugh?" calls the voice of a little girl.

Hugh pulls out of our embrace and looks over my shoulder. "Isla?" he asks.

_Isla?_ I think. Then it suddenly dawns on me. He has a sister!

Hugh gets up just in time to catch his little sister. She looks just like Hugh, but her eyes are green, bright and big. And her glossy black as night hair is long and wavy.

"Hugh, I'm really glad to see you're alright!" Isla cries.

"So'm'I, Isla. When we got separated the night of the fire, I thought you were gone for good. And then Ghetsis captured me… I was so worried, I thought I'd lost you."

"Same here, Hugh."

They remained locked in that embrace, with Hugh running his fingers through his sister's hair. It was a little disturbing, but, hey, that's how much they love and care about each other. How much I love Mei.

Tears threaten to break through the dam I have put up to protect myself when I think of my sister. My life was great and then Ghetsis had to come along and ruin everything. Team Plasma stole Isla's Purrloin back in 2008. Hugh wouldn't rest until he had found it. Then, two years ago, in 2012, he found it. But it had changed. Not only did it evolve, but it changed on the inside. That Liepard turned evil. When I saw Hugh back home after our journey, he was all scratched and bruised. He even had a few broken bones. But Liepard was tamed.

It remembered Hugh and Isla, and how it was caught by their late grandfather. I remember going to his place with Mei, Hugh and Isla every week. We had so much fun.

But then, Papa, as everyone called him, got sick. He had leukaemia. He left a gift for each of us. He gave me eight ancient stone tablets with writing on them. Mei got the other eight. We could barely make out what was written on them. We gave them to Bianca, who gave them to Professor Juniper for safekeeping. I'm not sure of what became of them after that.

Suddenly I realise Hilda has her arm around me protectively, like she would with her own sister. Like I would do for Mei.

All of a sudden, I remember my Poké Balls. I walk to the marquee and grab them and throw them up in the air. There's a Samurott, Swanna, Kyurem, Lucario, Gothitelle, Virizion, Victini and a Keldeo. They all rush towards me, happy and smiling. I'm smiling and crying tears of joy.

_'It's so good to see you, Rosa!'_ cries Samurott, licking my face while I'm just laughing.

_'I'm really glad you're alright,'_ says Swanna, preening my hair.

_'How did you manage to escape?'_ asks Lucario, hugging me.

_'What exactly happened?'_ asks Victini, sitting down on my shoulder.

_'It's amazing that you're alright,' _says Gothitelle, joining the hug.

They pull away and leave me to now go up to Kyurem, Virizion and Keldeo. Keldeo's first.

_'It's great that you're safe, Rosa,'_ he says, nuzzling my hand and then my face.

Virizion's next. _'Thank you for coming back, Rosa,'_ she says, giving me a quick lick.

"You're my Pokémon, my family. Of course I came back!"

I move on to Kyurem. It kneels down so I can pet it. Then comes the question I am dreading to answer. _'Where is Mei?'_

I crumble. I haven't exactly gotten used to the idea that I will never again see Mei until we have Nate and Hilbert with us. "Mei is… she's…" I still can't bring myself to say it. "We won't be seeing her physically in this lifetime again."

They all gasp and shake their heads.

_'What about Mei's Pokémon, then?'_ Kyurem asks.

"I haven't checked… and she hasn't mentioned anything either when she came to me in a dream." A thought suddenly floats into my head. "Hang on. How come I was able to call _all_ of you out?"

_'The Trainer System is offline,'_ says Kyurem matter-of-factly.

"How do you know?"

_'Normally, not just anyone can release a Pokémon. The Trainer who owns the Poké Ball is the only person whom is able to release a Pokémon. I figured this out because it was Ghetsis who released Zorua.'_

"How did you know that?"

_'His aura. When Team Plasma was using me against Unova, I got a _very_ good taste of his aura. It is foul and dark, with no hint of light anywhere.'_

Out of the blue, I hear a terribly familiar voice. Ghetsis. That git!

"My, my, my," he says, his oily voice snaking through my ears. "What a wonderful surprise. The orphan girl, the heroine, and the brother and sister… along with Kyurem, Virizion and Keldeo."

Ghetsis comes into view. His face looks absolutely horrid. Instead of the red bionic eye, he is wearing a black eye patch and his long, greasy hair is in an incredibly thin ponytail. Replacing the ceremonial robes he donned last time I saw him are black permanent-crease trousers, a black suit jacket, a red shirt and a white bow tie. He is still leaning heavily on a cane and his big feet are stuck in ginormous black shoes.

Hilda, Zorua, Hugh and Isla come towards me. We form a protective barrier of four humans and a Pokémon. My Pokémon come towards us and Hilda and Hugh let theirs out. Isla is still clutching her brother.

"Come, come, there's no need for that. I propose we make a deal."

"What kind of deal?" I ask, struggling to disguise the venom and hate in my words.

"The kind that will bring a part of your sister back."

"How so? You, of all people, know that the dead can't be reawakened in the physical form."

"I have here with me eight Poké Balls that belonged to your sister. If you want them back, you must break the spell that I have placed on them."

"How do I do that?"

"Kill me, or… battle all of them until they faint, completely and utterly exhausted."

Killing him would be so much easier, but I know from experience that Ghetsis has more than one trick up his sleeve. Besides, I promised N that I would let him do that.

"What happens if I don't succeed?"

He smiles an evil, toothy grin. "You become my slave and will do whatever I want you to do… forever."

I gasp. Tears sting my eyes but I won't give him the satisfaction of crying right here, right now. I have to stay strong for us all. "You frigging git! I won't kill you, but your _son_ will." In the word 'son' I put all the hate, hurt and pain he has put N through. "Ooh, trust me, _Gitsis_, I would have killed you two years ago were you coherent and the Shadow Triad didn't lead you away. I would kill you right here, right now if it weren't for the promise I made to your _son_."

"Battling your sister's Pokémon it is then. I may be cruel, but I would never choose the battlefield on my own."

"Let's go to the Gym."


	14. Chapter 14

We arrive at what used to be the Gym. It's now utterly destroyed, like everywhere else in Aspertia and I'm a little scared. Reason A: I'm in the same place as Ghetsis and Reason B: the spell he has Mei's Pokémon under. I want them back with me, but I don't know. My heart is pounding and adrenaline is coursing through my veins. I'm suddenly aware that I'm still in my pyjamas and am actually rather cold. I shiver and sneeze, once, twice, three times. Hugh gives me his jacket which I gratefully accept.

Along the way to the battlefield, we pass the body of a little seven-year-old girl. Her legs have been burnt to a crisp and her sky blue eyes are open and glassy. Her lovely white-blonde hair is spattered with blood and there's a raw gash in her throat where maggots are eating from. I choke out a sob and Hilda steers me away from the gruesome sight but it's too late – her image has been burned into my brain.

All of a sudden, I rush forward in front of Ghetsis and punch him in the nose. It, unfortunately, isn't strong enough to break it. "I – hate – you!" I say, each word accentuated by a punch. I'm so quick that he can't fight back. After one or two rounds, Hugh and Hilda, along with Gothitelle's Psychic, pull me off of him, still kicking and punching.

"Rosa, save it for the battlefield," says Hilda, clutching my shoulders. "You promised N, remember? You promised him that you would be his backup plan. Please, don't turn into the monster that this git has become. You are strong, and I believe that you can do this. Don't turn into Ghetsis. Besides, he's not worth it."

"Right." Without warning, a tear slides down my cheek as we start walking again. I knew that little girl. Her name was Melody and she had the most beautiful voice in Unova. She performed at the Pokémon Musical, the opening of the Pokéathlon, the Sinnoh and Hoenn Contests and at every Pokémon League, all in two years. She was also one of my friends. She was like a little sister to me.

I suddenly realise that my friends have stopped walking. It's just me and my Pokémon on the battlefield now. Hilda is way off to the side, calling someone on the Cross-Transceiver. I hope she's calling N.

"Ghetsis, what are you doing?" I ask, because I can see that he has gone off the battlefield.

"All I'm going to be doing is letting them out and returning them to their Poké Balls. They'll be battling for themselves. Under my spell, of course."

"Oh… K?"

Ghetsis pulls out a Poké Ball from his suit jacket pocket. "Come on out, Cobalion!" he says, throwing it up into the air. White energy heads forward and forms the shape of the legendary Cobalion. It looks terribly different. Its eyes are black and pupil-less, and its horns are much, much larger than they normally are. If I was frightened before, I'm absolutely panicking now.

I shake my head and think. 'What Move Type is strong against Fighting- and Steel-Types?' Then it hits me. 'Of _course_! Ground-, Fighting-, and Fire-Types! So that means… hm. I'll have to improvise with…'

"Victini! You're up first!"

_'Okay, Mistress Rosa!' _she says, floating down in front of me.

Why do they always call me 'Mistress' during a battle? Oh well. Must be some sort of weird respect thingy.

"Are you ready, Rosa? You realise that once you start the battle, there's no turning back. Are you absolutely sure about this?"

"I don't break promises," I say simply, referring to the promise I made N. "I never have and I never will. I'm not like you. Not to mention the fact that you're a _murderer_. I'm doing this for myself, for my sister, for my parents, for my friends, for the whole of Unova and all the other regions you have drenched with your disgusting venom."

"Fine. Hugh!" he barks. Hugh jerks his head toward Ghetsis. "Be our referee."

"Okay, then," he says awkwardly, walking to the middle of the edge of the battlefield. He continues with his arms outstretched. "The battle between Rosa Stark and Ghetsis Gropius will soon begin! Each side must use all the Pokémon at their disposal and the battle will be won when all the Pokémon on one side are unable to battle! Furthermore, Ghetsis will not be calling moves for the Pokémon to use! They shall be battling for themselves! Ready? Battle begin!"

"Victini, use Sunny Day!" I command, struggling to try and tap into Cobalion's thoughts. I can sense that he is trying to fight the spell, but even poor Cobalion can't fight it. Back in the wild, Cobalion was the leader of a group everyone called the 'Swords of Justice', which consisted of Cobalion himself, Terrakion, Virizion, and only recently, Keldeo. Cobalion chose to be caught by Mei because of her coolness. I have no idea why Victini, Kyurem, Virizion and Keldeo chose me. Guess I'll just have to ask them when all this is over.

My thoughts are interrupted when I see a Flash Cannon headed straight for me. I duck and dodge, but the thing grazes my pyjama leg and I wince as I dive down onto the charred ground. Hilda, Hugh, Isla and all our Pokémon gasp.

_'Mistress!' _cries Victini, rushing to my aid. I get up and dust myself off. Well, the pyjama pants are ruined. Oh, great. I'm bleeding. _'Are you alright?'_

"Not quite. Could you please use Heal Pulse on me?"

_'Sure!_' A calming, healing energy bursts forth from Victini and calms the angry red welt on the back of my calf down and fresh skin covers up the wound instantly.

"Thank you."

_'Don't mention it._'

I turn to Ghetsis. "That was a dirty trick, Ghetsis!"

"Oh, did I forget to mention that your Pokémon will be defending you from the attacks?" he sniggers. "Oh, my, I am _so_ sorry. I think I also forgot to mention that your sister's Pokémon are at their maximum strength? Your Pokémon won't even make a dent in their defence. Remember I mentioned a spell? Well, this is it."

"Ghetsis, I don't hate you anymore."

"Thank you."

"I _loathe_ you. I _despise _you. I _detest_ you. You are the most despicable human being to walk this planet, to even live in this universe."

"That is the closest I will get in the way of a compliment from you, I'm guessing."

"Yep. Victini, draw energy from the sun to make your Will-O-Wisp much stronger and aim for Cobalion's underbelly!" I command.

Purple flame snakes its way around Cobalion, who is trying to dodge it. One thing you should know about Victini is that her attacks never miss, so therefore cannot be dodged. The flame flits around Cobalion, confusing him so when he jumps, the flame hits his soft underbelly and he comes crashing down. Cobalion winces when he stands up again.

_'Smart idea, Mistress.'_

"Thanks, Victini." I turn to Cobalion. "Cobalion, don't listen to him!"

_'You're not Mei,'_ he says simply. _'You're not my master.'_ Cobalion rushes toward me, creating his Sacred Sword. I barely have time to dodge it. I run around the Gym, racking my brain for a move Victini can use to protect me and deal damage to Cobalion at the same time.

"Victini, use Psychic! Make him go twenty metres above the ground!"

Victini floats up ahead of me and I turn around so I can backpedal. The large V on her head glows with a fiery sheen and Cobalion glows the same colour. He rises up to the prescribed height.

"Victini, use Psychic on me, too!" This is the only way I can think of to get Cobalion to recognise me.

_'Really?' _Victini asks.

"Yes, please!" I place my foot down on the ground to find no ground. It's a pretty weird sensation. "Victini, can you get me on his back?"

_'Okay…'_ Poor Victini. This battle is getting weirder and weirder.

I float up into the air and Victini rises with me. She slowly directs me onto Cobalion's back and I feel his soft blue fur in my fists. When he feels me, he immediately tries bucking me off.

I lay my head on his neck gently, clutching at his sides with my legs. "Shh, Cobalion, it's alright. Don't you recognise me?"

_'Who are you?'_ he asks.

"I'm not Mei. I'm her sister. Her twin sister. Don't you remember when she caught you? We battled together. Don't you remember following us?"

_'I do. But I don't recognise you.'_

"My name is Rosa. I have changed in the last three days."

Cobalion's about to open his mouth to speak when we hear a strange voice. It's articulated like a human's, but it still sounds like a Pokémon.

_'That's enough!'_ the voice roars.


	15. Chapter 15

Cobalion stops trying to buck me off and I relax a little. Right in front of us floats Mewtwo. His eyes are blue and his body is the same colour. I don't know him that well but he only goes that way when he's angry. So when I see Mewtwo's livid face, I am extremely worried.

_'Cobalion, you are stronger than this,'_ he says, coming towards us. _'You can break the spell yourself.'_

Cobalion is trying really hard to break it, I can feel it. But even a legendary can't shake free of the grip that Ghetsis has on him.

"Cobalion, I believe that you can do it! I know you can!" I whisper in his ear. Cobalion immediately starts writhing again and just about throws me off. "Come on, please! I've lost so much already… don't let me lose the memory of that!" Cobalion tosses me off. I close my eyes and scream as I begin to fall, but suddenly, I feel as though I have been caught. I open my eyes and see a bright, ethereal blue glow around me. "Thank you, Mewtwo."

_'Don't mention it, Rosa. Now, Cobalion, try and remember Rosa! Try and remember Mei and the fun you had, the battles you won! Break this spell!'_

Cobalion cries and lashes out at me with a Sacred Sword. It hits my shoulder, almost cutting my arm off and I yelp in pain.

_'Rosa!'_ cries Victini.

"Victini, use Heal Pulse!" I command.

Victini sends out the same healing and calming energy as before and I watch with wonder as my wound closes up and fresh pink skin takes its place before my eyes.

"Thanks."

_'It's alright,'_ she says, coming towards me. I tickle her under the chin. She giggles and it's a bubbly, sweet and invigorating sound. If mint had a sound, that's basically it.

I feel as though I'm floating back down to the ground. Hugh runs toward me when I've touched down and I feel him lift me off the ground. He spins me around and when I land (again), I lean forward and lightly peck his lips before pulling away.

I suddenly notice all of my sister's Pokémon are out of their Poké Balls. There's Terrakion, one of the bravest Pokémon I know; Emboar, warm and prone to staring off into space; Meloetta, who has one of the most beautiful voices in existence; Milotic, who is simply gorgeous; Tornadus, who's powerful and short-tempered; and Axew, who is incredibly adorable, but whose Dragon Rage (I prefer to call it a _Dragon Sneeze_) has wowing potential.

Ghetsis is nowhere to be seen. I look high and low, but he's disappeared without a trace. He must've taken off when Mewtwo showed up.

Mewtwo comes down from the air and brings Cobalion with him. Cobalion looks happier. His horns are back to the length they should be, his eyes are back to normal and he is actually smiling. I have never, ever seen, let alone imagined, Cobalion smiling. He looks like a little child again.

"You broke the spell!" I cry, rushing up to him.

_'Only with yours and Mewtwo's help, Rosa,'_ he answers. _'Thank you. I know you've been asked this a lot already, but… where's Mei?'_

"I'll tell you later. Where're your Poké Balls?" I ask.

_'Ghetsis released us like he released Zorua. Rosa, you know you can't keep skirting around the subject of your sister. Please tell me what happened to her.'_

"I said I'll tell you later. Cobalion, please, terrible memories keep coming into my head and the more I speak about them, the more they surface. Please, I'm begging you, don't use my memories as a weapon!"

_'I'm not… I just want to know.'_

"What's all this?" calls a voice from above. It's either N or Cheren.

Zekrom floats down and lands, with a thud, right in the middle of the battlefield, where the Poké Ball design is.

"Wow," whistles Cheren, getting off of Zekrom. He looks around. "So this was my Gym. I hope we can restore our world to its former glory."

"Me, too, Ren," says Hilda, running to the Pokémon and her friend.

"Hilda, where's Reshiram?" asks N, sliding off Zekrom and standing next to Cheren.

"She was hurt pretty badly earlier."

"Let her out. Zekrom should be able to heal her."

"Sure." She enlarges the Poké Ball and throws it up into the air. "Come on out, Reshiram!" White energy flows out from the Poké Ball and forms the shape of the beautiful legendary Reshiram. She can't stand up for long though. She crashes down on the ground, creating a little tremor.

Zekrom walks over to Reshiram's inanimate form. He bends down and touches his forehead with Reshiram's. Poor Reshiram responds only weakly and I can't understand what she is saying.

_'I can't do anything for her,'_ says Zekrom, standing up.

"What?"

_'Hilda, I'm really sorry, but something is blocking my energy from reaching her. Perhaps if I give some energy to you and Rosa and you send it to her, she'd be fine.'_

I step forward to the gathering. "You won't need to give your energy," I say when I reach them. I kneel down in front of Reshiram and place my palm on her forehead. "I have plenty."

_'But you could destroy yourself!'_ Samurott and Emboar cry.

"I know. But we're talking about Reshiram here, the great dragon whose fire purged the evil from this earth thousands of years ago. I have power to make her well. If I don't use it, she'll die. And if she dies, I could never forgive myself."

I have no idea what I am doing but I feel myself sending out a strong force to Reshiram. I close my eyes in concentration and when I open them, I am fire forcing out the illness, grass giving her life back and water washing away the death.

Time loses its meaning. Space gives way. I feel as though I am falling, falling, falling…


	16. Chapter 16

When I come to, Bianca is holding my hand and is Hilda combing my hair. The sky looks very dark. And I am covered with a soft, green blanket.

Bianca smiles when she sees I'm awake. "You had us worried, Rosa," she says. "I'm glad you're alright. Are you?"

"I feel like I've been hit by a Hyper Beam," I answer, trying to sit up, but groaning and sinking back into the flowery nest because of the pain in my muscles. "What happened anyway?"

"Sweetie, you saved Reshiram's life," answers Hilda.

"I did? How?"

"You gave your life-force to her, although this meant you nearly died. Your heart was barely beating and you weren't breathing when you pulled away from her."

"Gosh. How long have I been unconscious for?"

"A week and a half," replies Bianca. "We had to delay the meeting in Undella because of your… condition. But don't worry; they were all very understanding, although this sort of thing has never happened before."

"Unless you count the amount of times Ash Ketchum has saved legendary Pokémon," giggles Hilda.

"How old is Ash anyway? 'Cause the TV makes out that he's ten, but what about in real life?"

"Hmm, I'd say about… twenty-seven?"

"Sheesh. Major age difference there."

"Is Sleeping Beauty awake yet?" calls Hugh, entering the clearing.

"After ten days, I finally am."

"Good, because you have a lot of Pokémon to catch."

It takes me a while to figure out what he means. Then I remember all my sister's Pokémon. And Zorua.

All of a sudden, I realise that the blanket is the only covering I have on. "Hugh, d'you reckon you could go back to the stream… like, right now?"

"Why?"

"… je suis nu." Translated by Google, it means I'm naked… in French.

A moment of silence passes before he blushes, turns away and quickly walks back out.

The girls help me up and dress me in silence. I feel so sore and tense, and my skin betrays me. I'm black, blue, purple and green all over. "Hilda, how can I be physically injured when all I did was send out my energy to Reshiram?" I ask, wincing as I straighten my bra straps.

"It took a lot out of you. Look, as I told you before, you nearly died. Of course your body is trying to recover, but you were so badly wounded that Victini and Gothitelle had to carry you here using Psychic.

"Rosa, seriously, now is the time to tell all your Pokémon about your sister. Please, tell us all the whole story, okay?"

"Sure. What's the time anyway?"

"It is… just about seven o'clock in the evening," answers Bianca.

"N's cooking dinner, by the way."

"Yum!"

I take a step forward and wince. Even my feet hurt and I've only just woken up! Why, oh why is the human body so vulnerable?

As we walk to the edge of the clearing, I catch the threads of the boys' conversation. It sounds like somewhat to do with teenage love or something.

"Yeah, but, how do you know that the girl you like likes you back?" that sounds like Hugh. He seems a bit tense.

"Trust me, you'll know," answers Cheren. "If she looks at you the way you look at her, she's the one. And I know what I'm talking about. I've seen the way N looks at Hilda and vice versa. No wonder they're engaged!"

"Love is a strange and powerful force," adds N, keen to steer the conversation back to where it was headed. "I mean, without Hilda, I don't know where I'd be. She changed my life – and I'm sure I changed hers. Surely you remember what happened two years ago, and also back in 2010. You would've seen it on TV, I reckon."

"Well, yeah. The media went on about it for weeks! It's not every day some crazy head brings a fully built castle out of the ground and surrounds the Unova League with it! There was a major quake that day and trust me, I know my fault lines! Rosa was terrified and I – we – were really worried when she wouldn't come out of her room. Only Mei is able to bring her out of her little bubble."

"Then you'll need to be the one to help her with that, with Mei gone."

"What?" Hugh cries. "What do you mean?"

"Mei… was killed," N says in a low, deep voice.

"By whom?"

"Guess."

I swear a minute of silence goes by. Then a violent and graphic stream of vulgar curses exits Hugh's mouth. "Of all the bloody, friggin' people! I hope he effen' rots in hell!" And that's not even the half of it.

I'm very taken aback by Hugh's language. Normally he only says Ron Weasley's favourite phrase only when extremely sorely provoked. Now he is saying every curse word and phrase under the sun. This is very surprising. Never, ever, not even in our fourteen years of friendship has he said 'bloody hell' in more than just mine and Mei's presence. Now he's saying more than that in the presence of strangers.

"Something's terribly wrong," I whisper, shivering a little. I feel something cold lightly touch my shoulder. "Snow? In the middle of January?"

"Technically it's now February," says Bianca.

"I don't care. Why would it be snowing… drat. Is Kyurem out of his Poké Ball?"

"Yes… he should be over at the waterfall."

I break through the trees at a run. Strangely, my bruises don't seem to be bothering me anymore. I sprint upstream. When I reach the huge cliff supporting it, I climb as quickly as I possibly can. "Kyurem!" I cry. "Kyurem! You've got to stop! Please! Before Unova is frozen again!" Again? Oh yeah… 2012…

I reach the top of the cliff and see Kyurem surrounded by a white cloud of snow and ice. I stop and stare for a little. Every snowflake is beautiful. Every snowflake is unique. Just like human beings, plants and Pokémon.

A snowflake floats by right in front of my eyes. This isn't Kyurem's doing. Pokémon always make one snowflake in their image. The flake that just floated by me was Isla's image. I brave my way to Kyurem. When I enter the cloud, I suddenly realise that Isla is the one in the centre, not Kyurem.

I reach Kyurem's side and touch his icy cold body. "What's going on?" I shout above the howl of the wind.

_'I think this is Isla's power,'_ he answers. _'Like me.'_

"Mama Mia," I whisper to myself. "The power to control wind and snow. Well, that'll come in handy during the summer."

I walk to Isla, guided by Kyurem's constant nudging in my back and shielding my face from the spiky ice.

"Don't come near me, Rosa!" Isla cries out, looking at me with despair.

I freeze in my tracks. "Why?"

"I can't control it… I don't know how!"

"You may be cold, but I am warm." I feel my eyes flash fire and my face and neck burning up. "Okay, now I am incredibly hot."

Isla laughs in spite of herself. I take the opportunity to walk toward her.

"Come on, give me your hands," I whisper as I kneel down in front of her tiny, shivering form. I forgot she's only nine. And that she is a bit malnourished. It was so hard to get her to eat after the then Purrloin was stolen. When she finally did, all she had was a nibble from Macca's Happy Meals.

Isla gives me her miniature, icy cold hands. "You _are_ hot."

I can feel the storm subsiding around me. I can feel it getting warmer as Isla's hands get warmer. "There you go. All better now!"

* * *

><p>Wow. Sixteen years old and sixteen chapters. Please review. And please let me know if I put too much dialogue in all my stories. I sort of struggle with that... Anyway, enjoy!<p> 


	17. Chapter 17

Night-time once again. Everyone's having dinner. I can't eat anything. Oh, Mei! I miss you more than ever now!

_'What's up, Rosa?'_ asks Tepig, cuddling into me.

"Do you ever get that feeling when you feel so lost and hopeless and would give just about anything to have your loved ones back?" I whisper, picking it up and holding it close to my heart.

_'Of course I do, Rosa!'_ Tepig cries indignantly. Or is that hurt I hear in its little voice?

I suddenly realise my mistake. I am still so shocked and scared of Isla and now Hugh and wrapped up in my own grief that I did totally forget that Tepig has been going through the same for the last fourteen years!

"I'm so sorry, Tepig!" I cry as tears start rolling down my cheeks. "I did! I've been so lost in my grief that the rest of this world no longer matters! I _hate_ that friggin' git! Why did he kill my sister?! _Why?!_" I bury my face in Tepig's short, yet gloriously soft, fur, all too eager to say goodbye to this world, but I can't. Even beyond the grave, Mei is depending on me. N is depending on me. So are Nate and Hilbert and Isla and Hugh and Cheren and Bianca and Hilda. And all the Pokémon, too!

I have no idea how long Tepig and I stay like that.

"Rosa?" calls N from just inside the clearing.

"Yeah?" I mumble through wracking sobs.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He comes over to my side and sits down beside me.

I let go of Tepig and bury my face in N's strong, lanky and lean chest. "How did you live with that man?" I cry.

"Ghetsis gave me everything I could ask for," he answers, stroking my wild hair. "He gave me all sorts of toys and brought to me all kinds of Pokémon. Only, there was something missing. I'd had no idea of love before I met Tepig, Pignite and Emboar. Those three taught me everything about love. But, when Ghetsis took me in, my life was devoid of all parental love – real, genuine, wonderful love. He showed me only abused little Pokémon who hated me at first. But I became their friend. All Pokémon love me now. Especially Zekrom and the little Zorua I gave you through Rood.

"Real, genuine love continued to elude me until I met Hilda. I had an inkling, when I met her and Cheren in Accumula Town, that she may well be the one to give me and to receive the love that I pour out."

"But then, what happened on the Ferris Wheel in Nimbasa?" I ask, drinking up this newfound knowledge like a schoolgirl on her first day.

"I told her about me and Team Plasma. I was their king, their leader. 'We need to change that!' was all she said. Then, she kissed me on the cheek. 'Until next time,' she whispered when the wheel stopped and we got off. I truly loved her from that moment on."

"Tell me the rest of the story, please!" The story of another's journey excites me in a way I never thought possible; it melts my grief for a few hours after until I wake up the next morning and I realise that it isn't my journey.

"Okay. Hilda and I met again, after Accumula Town, just outside the Nacrene City Museum. I told her the goal of my journey over a milkshake. She was enraptured. Then she told me the goal of hers. The word PokéDex still leaves a bitter taste on my tongue, even now. But I am starting to understand that we only do it so we can understand them more.

"Once again we met at Chargestone Cave. I am always astonished by her courage to stand up for her truth: that all, people and Pokémon alike, can live in peace and harmony. But my ideal was a separate world for Pokémon where they can live in peace and harmony and no fear of being caught and used by humans. Even though we had registered each other on the Cross-Transceiver, we didn't speak again until outside the Gym in Mistralton City, where, yet again, we battled.

"'Why didn't you speak to me at all after Chargestone Cave?' Hilda cried after the battle was over.

"'Because our ideals were too conflicting,' I answered. 'I can't create the perfect world I envision for Pokémon if there are people like Teams Rocket, Magma, Aqua and Galactic.'

"'Don't you get it, N?' she asked, coming towards me.

"'Get what?'

"'Team Plasma is just like them. I hope you understand that someday.' With that, she ran off."

"I see you're talking about our separate journeys, N," says Hilda, sitting down and facing us. "And that you've just finished talking about our encounter in Mistralton."

"Can you talk about your journey after Mistralton?" N asks, getting up.

"Sure."

"Hang on, N," I say. "Where are you going?"

"I'll help Cheren and Bianca pack up the dinner things."

"See ya." In a few moments, he's gone.

"Mistralton City was a turbulent time for me. After our battle outside the Gym, I went off to have a cry in the bathroom at the Pokémon Centre. Nurse Joy came to get me after I had been in there for about twelve hours. She invited me to her room in the Centre and I told her everything over a cup of tea and some biscuits and cake that Audino had made. I told her how I first met N back in Accumula Town and how he, too, could hear the voices of Pokémon.

"I was expecting her to be very surprised when I told her, but she wasn't. She said that she can do it too, but only with the Pokémon in the Centre. In fact, all Nurse Joys, whatever the region, have that same ability.

"Fate brought us together, once again. Dragonspiral Tower. I'll never forget that day. That day I saw one of the single most powerful Pokémon in the entire Unova region. Zekrom. Oh, man, even now I get shivers down my spine when N calls him out of the Poké Ball. He is beautiful and powerful and strong and, oh, just magnificent.

"I tried calling him on the Cross-Transceiver, but all I got was a cocky answering machine."

"Hey!" N yells, his voice carrying through to the clearing.

I giggle. "What did he say on it?"

"'Hello, Hilda, I hope you're doing well. I am. Zekrom is amazing. Too bad Reshiram hasn't recognised you yet. Bye.'"

"Yep, that's cocky."

"I heard that!"

"Hey, N, do you reckon you can get rid of the microphones all over the place?"

"Sure. Anything for my beloved fiancée."

"Aw!"

"Anyway, when we finally met again, it was at his castle. You saw what happened on the news, right?"

"Not really. See, there was an earthquake that day, so I hid under my bed. But I saw it on _Channel Now! _ later, read about it in _The Daily Unova_ and heard you, Bianca, Cheren and Alder talk about it on _HNR_. Not to mention _PokéBook_, _Pika!_, and _The Weekly Rollout_."

"And then, he disappeared. It was a whole two years since what happened at the Pokémon League before I met him again. I saw, read and heard about what Team Plasma made Kyurem do in Opelucid City and hurried over to the Giant Chasm as fast as I could. But then… well, you know the rest."

"You know what I find hard to believe, Hilda?"

"What's that?"

"That any human being – and yes, Ghetsis is included in this – can have the capability to do so much evil. I reckon that the leaders and Grunts of all those Teams were abandoned or abused in childhood."

"And that's why I love N so much. He's like the Disney cartoon version of Cinderella – he has endured so much hardship that it's a miracle he isn't calloused and twisted like Ghetsis."

"I just had a crazy thought. What if Teams Rocket, Aqua, Magma, Galactic and Plasma are working together?"

"If their leaders are anything like Ghetsis, well, let's just say that they're going to fight and want everything their way or the highway."

* * *

><p>Sorry I took so long with this chapter, everyone! I didn't get any internet during the first week of the Easter holidays, I didn't touch my computer during the second week, term started and last weekend I forgot my laptop password and this story is on it! :( Please forgive me!<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

We are finally on the road. It's now been about two weeks since the deaths of my family and I met up with 'Team Heaven' as we like to call ourselves and our Pokémon. I've caught all Mei's Pokémon and all three Kanto starters. "Hilda," I ask. "How come we're walking and not flying to Undella Town?"

"We'd be spotted by spies for the combined Team Hell," she answers, placing her arm around me. "It's best to just lie low. Team Heaven is just far too recognisable. Besides, we're all on Team Hell's hit list."

To be honest, I love the fact that we're walking. I haven't been around Unova since 2012. This trip down Memory Lane will show us what has happened in the time since Team Hell's world domination scheme began. If our world wasn't in trouble before, it sure is now. I'm really scared of what we'll find in Undella Town. It's the only place left. We might find refugees have taken over the place. Or that there are too many Nurse Joys to go around. Or that Team Hell has already destroyed the place.

I love the music in Undella Town during the spring and autumn and winter. Some days when Mei and I were there, we'd sit on the beach for the whole day, from before sunrise to well after sunset. And then when summer rolled around, the music changed and lots and lots of people came. We packed up and left Cynthia's villa.

While we were there, the Rich family visited. Mr Rich is the only one who actually lives in Undella Town, but he may have packed up just like the rest of his family.

We come to the edge of the forest. I'm very nervous, to tell the truth. I'm worried about what I'll find when we get to that bit before the Skyarrow Bridge. Why would Team Hell do such terrible things to Pokémon? And to people? 'Because they were alone and abused,' a little voice tells me. To be honest, I really don't believe that.

"Ready, Rosa?" N asks, taking my hand.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I answer, grabbing Hugh's. "What about everyone else?"

"Sure," N answers.

"I hope so," answers Hugh, taking his sister's hand, who takes Hilda's, who then takes Bianca's, who finally takes Cheren's.

"Yeah," whispers Isla.

"Hopefully," answers Hilda.

"Definitely," Bianca whispers shakily.

"Of course," Cheren finishes. "Let's go."

Still holding each other's hands, we walk through the trees and out onto the little lookout overlooking the Electric Black River. The place is a mess!

We rush to the Skyarrow Gateway. I see old and new uniforms for Teams Rocket, Aqua, Magma, Galactic and Plasma all throughout. And a uniform like Jessie and James's from the Pokémon TV show and movies, only it's a shiny black plastic sort of fabric with a blood red H print on the t-shirt.

I stop my friends from going in. I drag them back to the forest and all the way to the stream, just outside the clearing.

"Rosa, why are we back here?" Isla asks.

"Didn't you see all those Team Hell goonies?" I answer. "We can't go in there; we're far too recognisable."

"Then what do you have in mind?" Cheren asks.

I think for a little bit, then I suddenly remember the special pumice stone Squirtle gave me a couple of weeks ago. I dig in my bag for it. "Bingo!" I cry, pulling it out.

"It's… a rock," N sighs, exasperated.

"Not just any rock. It's a special pumice stone that Squirtle gave me when I first met her. She said it can turn you into anyone you want."

"So then we can turn into the Grunts!"

"Yep! But, I think it can only change your body and not your clothes." I dig in my bag for Squirtle's Poké Ball. "Squirtle, come on out!" I throw it up in the air and white energy beams out onto the grass in the form of the Water-Type Kanto Starter.

_'Hi, everyone!'_ she says.

"Heya, Squirtle! Listen, about that pumice stone you gave me a few weeks back… what does it change, who can you change into, and for how long?"

_'The special pumice stone changes the user's body and voice and when you use it in this stream, it will give you a full outfit as well. The user stays in the different body until midnight the next day. You can change into anyone, but not everyone can use it. The user has to be over fourteen and have battled at least one member of any Region's Elite Four, official battle or not.'_

"Thank you, Squirtle. Return!" A beam of red light shoots out from the Poké Ball and catches Squirtle in it.

"What's she saying?" Hugh asks.

I convey the message. "So that means Isla can't use it yet."

Isla moans. "I have four more years to go! And by then we won't need it!" She starts to cry.

"Don't worry, Sis. If your journey is anything like ours, then you might."

"Thanks, Hugh."

"Now then, which Grunts are we going to turn into?" I ask, bringing everyone back on track. "I think we should have someone for each Team, or all of us for Team Hell combined."

"Let's go with all of us dressing up in Team Hell's uniform," says N.

"Now the only problem is how we get Isla through the gate…"

"I'll take her there with Skarmory and make sure she gets to Cynthia's safely," says Hugh.

"But I wanna keep walking with you!" I whine. Gee, I can really sound like a little kid sometimes!

Hugh walks up to me and places his hands on my shoulders. "I know. I do too. But I can't leave Isla alone… our parents may be dead and I could well be the only family she's got left. You saw what Aspertia was like! There's no home for us to go back to."


	19. Chapter 19

_There's no home for us to go back to. There's no home for us to go back to. No home to go back to. No home… no home… _The words keep tumbling over and over in my brain. This is worse than when Snivy told me my whole family was dead. Worse than when Mei told me I won't be seeing her until we find Nate and Hilbert. And way worse than telling everyone that Mei was gone…

_No home… no home… no home._ The words blur into each other. _No hope… no hope… no hope…_

"Of course there's hope!" I cry out suddenly.

"Sorry, Rosa?" Hugh asks, his grip on my shoulders tightening and much heavier.

"There's hope. Hope means there's a chance, right?" A light bulb flicks on in my brain and my whole face glows. I turn to Isla after extricating myself from Hugh's grip. "Isla, could you create some polished ice mirrors?"

"Sure," she answers. "But why?"

"So that it becomes like Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak!" adds Hilda. "Wow, that's gotta be one of the best ideas in the history of great and amazing ideas!"

"Thank you, Hilda. Now, I've got some even better slash crazier ideas."

I explain my plan. Everyone besides Isla will bathe in the stream with the stone and get dressed in Team Hell's outfit. Isla will create an ice dome which will be held up by Victini and Gothitelle and the two Pokémon will use their psychic powers to create the illusion of invisibility. And then we can move into the cities and towns without a hitch!

"Wow, that is a really good plan!" N says.

"Thanks. Now, let's have some morning tea and implement it!"

I go back to the grotto where I met Mewtwo. It (the grotto) hasn't changed a bit. Except for one tiny (astronomically huge) detail. There's a willow tree in the centre and there are flowers of all shapes, colours and sizes clinging to the foliage. The result is stunning.

I walk up closer to the tree and find that there are berries of all sorts on the branches. I take some and put them in my backpack. All around me is beautiful nature. I really honestly think that I could live here for the rest of my life. Oh, if only! If only.

But I can't. I have so many people who are depending on me. Mum, Dad, Mei and Papa are depending on me from beyond the grave and Hugh, Isla, Hilda, Hilbert, N, Nate, Bianca, Cheren, all the Gym Leaders – practically everyone on this side of the chasm – are depending on me. It's really scary to have so many people depending on you. I admit that I am easily frightened, but even kings and queens are daunted by simply leading a people. I have to lead, save and be the shining hope. I have to be as far away as the clouds in the sky, yet closer than the closest friend. Why is this world so crazy?

I snap out of my reverie and rush back to the stream. Everyone is just reclining in the sun. "I've got some berries!" I say as I come up to them. I tip my backpack upside down and am amazed at the amount that falls out. There are Rawst Berries, Pecha Berries, Oran Berries, Cheri Berries… just about every single kind, in fact!

"How many berries have you got there?" Hugh asks, gobsmacked.

"It seems like at least fifty of each kind…"

"I don't know about you, Rosa, but that is certainly more than enough to feed a Pokémon army!" N laughs.

"Oh, very funny," I scowl. This encourages him all the more until he coughs and stops. "Why don't we call everyone out now?"

"Good idea!"

We all get out our Poké Balls. Our calls are loud and clear and all that can be heard is the sounds of their names. Our voices are strong and bold, like a summer storm or a sandstorm on Route 4, which I like to call the 'Desert Meadow'. It's not the place itself, it's the Pokémon who live there! White light pours out of our Poké Balls and transforms into many, many, many different Pokémon. Hugh has a Serperior, a Stoutland, Lucario, Azumarill, Unfezant, and a Blissey. And Isla has her Liepard.

Our Pokémon are all enjoying themselves immensely. I don't think any of them have had a real and serious battle in yonks (not including our encounter with Ghetsis. That wasn't even a real battle!).

All of us have yarns to tell each other. I am so happy that we are together as comrades, joining the fight to save the world from the forces of Team Hell. Most of all, I am just happy that we are all friends. Especially our legendries. When I first met them all, I thought they would have been all high and mighty. How wrong I was! They are all so down-to-earth that the rest of them are completely unafraid, especially with Meloetta and Victini.

They're all saying things like "I'm hungry" – "What can we have?" – "I'm starved!" and all that can be heard is the humans trying to quiet them. Imagine the rowdiest forty-strong class of Preppies or Kindy kids on the planet. Convert the students to Pokémon of varying sizes, shapes and strengths and you get the perfect formula for danger and mayhem.

When we finally succeed (at least five minutes later) we get them to sit down in a circle and we all say a prayer of thanks, which goes something like this:

"Thank you, God, for reuniting us.

"Thank you, God, for this gift of life.

"Thank you, God, for letting us eat this food together.

"Amen."

And I say a special prayer for us in my heart. I'm asking God to look after Mei and Mum and Dad and making sure that their stay in Heaven in comfortable, to help Cheren and Bianca allow their love to grow (trust me, it is most definitely there), to give N the strength to face the astronomical task of destroying the monster named Ghetsis, to look after me and Hilda as we prepare to bring back Nate and Hilbert, to look after Hugh and Isla and their parents, and above all, asking God to keep us all safe from harm and letting us know He's here.

And then we all eat.

As I finish eating, I hear a voice and feel a hand on my shoulder. "You're welcome, Rosa," the voice says, "and your request is being granted right this second."

N suddenly gasps. "I feel like Entei for some reason!" he says, rubbing his arms.

"Wow," Hilda sighs, "I feel like Suicune."

I feel a jolt of electricity coursing through me. I can feel my hair going all static-y and if it weren't so bushy I reckon it'd be standing on end. "I feel like Raikou," I say shakily, like Ash did in _Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys_ (2005) when Pikachu used Thunderbolt on those Deoxys thingies to make them let him go. Honestly, Ash has nearly died that many times it's a miracle he's not dead!

Bianca suddenly starts crying and laughing. "Don't ask me why this is happening, but for some reason I feel like Mesprit," she sobs and hiccups.

"Oddly, I feel like Uxie…" says Cheren, getting his glasses on.

"And I feel like Azelf," Hugh says.

We wait for Isla's statement.

"I feel like Arceus!" she finally says, laughing.

When we all calm down somewhat, we ask at the same time "What in the world just happened?"

"I prayed and it was answered," I say. "I asked God to look after Mei and Mum and Dad and help Bianca and Cheren and give N the strength to reach our ultimate goals and look after me and Hilda and Nate and Hilbert and Hugh and Isla and their parents. And I asked God to let us know He's always here."

"I mayn't have been a believer before now, but… well, I think I am now…"

"Cheren?"

All of a sudden he starts reciting the Apostles' Creed. The rest of us stare at him, dumbstruck.

"Cheren, are you okay?"

"We _have_ to change into the Grunts and leave here by tomorrow or we'll never get back." With that, he leaves for the clearing.

"I'm scared," I say.

"Same," echoes everyone else.

* * *

><p>Okay, if you haven't guessed by now, I am a <em>very<em> devout Catholic. Events such as these are uncommon, however, they aren't extremely rare. And if you are feeling down and suicidal, trust me, God has never and will never abandon you. "My precious, precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints in the sand, it was then that I carried you." (Footprints, Unknown)


	20. Chapter 20

We're in the clearing now, each waiting for the other to say something, while at the same time, nodding off a little. Cheren's already gone to the stream to change, and we just can't seem to get ourselves together. Our Pokémon are back inside of their Poké Balls, except for Victini and Meloetta, to whom I'm talking about what just happened. They, along with the rest of the Pokémon, were witness to the sudden change that came over the former-Gym-leader-until-further-notice. All of a sudden, he recited the Apostles' Creed. And I _highly_ doubt that he has ever been to Church before in his entire life!

All the same, I can't deny how right Cheren is. I've heard of stranger things than what we just witnessed, like a person who had no Chinese background suddenly waking up speaking Mandarin and not English, which was his mother tongue, and a couplo' kids who went to Heaven and came back without dying. I'm a staunch Catholic, but this is the strangest thing that's ever happened. Reason A: it was one of my friends to whom it happened, Reason B: I still feel like Raikou, even though it's been an hour or so since morning tea and Reason C: my prayers have never been answered just like that before!

_'It'll be okay, Mistress Rosa,'_ Victini whispers into my ear.

_'Yeah, Cheren will be fine,'_ Meloetta also whispers. It's so strange how her voice is melodic, even when she's whispering.

"Thanks, you two," I say, pulling them close and hugging their tiny, floating forms. They are both so beautiful. And they're the best of friends.

I wish I was the one who first caught Meloetta. I couldn't, though. When I went to the Abyssal Ruins for the first time, the torrent of water forced us out and I felt as though I'd nearly drowned. It took me a whole two weeks in Cynthia's villa, with both Mei and Cynthia herself by my side 24/7, for me to recover. I never went back.

"Meloetta, Victini, what do you think God is like?" I ask suddenly.

_'I think He's big and strong and powerful, just like the earth and wind and sky and everything else in this world,'_ Victini answers, strong and confident.

_'I think God is far more powerful than Ghetsis and as nice and loving and kind as Ghetsis is evil and twisted and cruel,'_ Meloetta answers.

I hug the legendary Pokémon and we fall asleep against a tree in our embrace.

Soon, someone shakes me awake. I think it's Cheren, but his face is changed beyond recognition by the transformation.

"Yeah?" I mumble groggily.

"It's your turn in the stream, Rosa," he says. His voice is deeper and it sounds really husky.

"Thanks." I get up and get Meloetta and Victini back into their Poké Balls. Cheren gives me the pumice stone.

I walk to the edge of the clearing, take a deep breath, and walk out to the stream.

My backpack is the first to come off. Then it's my snapback and my top and my pants and my shoes. I get it all into the bag and leave it on the bank. I slowly step into the middle of the stream and start swimming, against the current, toward the waterfall. I stand under its forceful, icy cold cascade and then relax and allow myself to be taken back to the bank. I grab the pumice stone and summon the image of the female Team Hell Grunt into my mind – her tall, lean and muscular form, her fluoro red and blue Princess Leia buns, heart shaped paper white face and star spangled eyes – and rub and scrub and pull and push at my skin until it is raw pink. I rub it everywhere – even my face and hair – so the transformation will be complete.

When I finally put the stone down on the river bank, my whole body is different. I still feel the same, but I feel really different as well. I feel my face. It's the heart shaped face of the Team Hell girls. Somehow my hair got changed to the style as well. I'm seeing stars around the rims of my eyes and they move whenever I blink. My body is different as well. My skin is paper white with copper and coffee curlicues on my arms and legs. I am taller and my breasts and hips are larger and fuller. In short, I've become a woman in the space of less than an hour.

I get out of the stream and sit on the bank for a while, contemplating how and when we'd get through to Castelia. It's my favourite city out of the whole region. You get lost there really easily.

I snap out of my contemplation and notice for the first time a uniform next to my backpack. The sports bra and super short skirt are made of black Miltank leather and the Flatcap-beanie-beret is grey and yellow Flaaffy and Mareep wool. The thigh-high two-inch-platform boots are made of Arbok skin and the white laces are made from crushed Krookodile fangs. The white 'H' print on the bra is made of premature Pokémon Eggshells. Thankfully, it's all faux. I hate the killing of Pokémon for skins and teeth! I hate that almost as much as I hate Ghetsis for killing my sister and parents and for taking Hilbert and Nate into his castle for weird purposes and for taking N in as a child then turning against him!

I get dressed in the unusual uniform and notice that my backpack has turned into a bum bag – kinda like May's. Fastening the bag tightly around my hips, I head back to the clearing and shake Bianca awake. She almost screams and wakes everyone up, but when I give her the pumice stone, she's outta here faster than an emu running the pants off a kangaroo.

I have never seen either in real life before, but when the Wiggles and the Irwin family (which then consisted of the late Steve, Terry and Bindi) came to Unova eleven years ago, they held a concert in every city and town in the region. All the children in Aspertia got to go and enjoyed themselves. I got to go too. They (the Wiggles) pulled me, Mei and Hugh up onto the stage and we got to perform with them. That has got to be one of my favourite memories (besides mine and Mei's first day of Trainer School). Later, we played with Bindi. And we heard all about Steve's death. The news reported that he was stabbed in the heart by a manta ray. Another two creatures I've never heard of before in my entire life. Terry, Bindi and Robert came to Unova again and stayed at our house. Mei, Hugh and I were of great comfort to the Irwins. We helped Terry out a lot by keeping Robert entertained and helping Bindi come to terms with his death. When they went back to Australia, Bindi promised that we would all get to go too, someday. Betcha Mei's already been, now. I just realise that I still have Bindi's number! I really should call her soon. In Castelia. In Castelia.

Practically an hour or two later, we are all changed into Team Hell goonies. We look so ridiculous! And one thing's for certain, this is the most skin I have ever shown in my entire life. Never have I worn anything so skimpy or even so daggy! Trust me, faux leather is _not_ what you want to wear as a sports bra, or even anything!

"Ready?" Cheren asks.

We all nod our assent.

"Let's go. Isla?"

Isla waves her hands around her head and body and creates a beautiful crystal dome. "Okay, lemme just get Victini and Gothitelle out of their Poké Balls and then we can get going."

I rummage through the bum bag for Victini and Gothitelle's Poké Balls. Pfft! I'm just like Bianca looking for Ash's Badge Case when they first met on Route 3! (At least, I _think_ it was Route 3…)

I breathe a sigh of relief when I find them. I throw them up into the air, say my usual "Come on out, (insert name here)!" and watch as the energy flows out of them and turns into the beautiful Pokémon I know and love.

"Why don't you get Meloetta to help out too, Rosa?" N asks.

"You sure? She gets really jumpy…" I say. Wow! Even _I_ can tell that my voice has changed!

"I don't think she has battled since Mei caught her. Am I right?"

"Yeah! You are, actually!"

I get her out and explain the plan to all three of them. "Are you three ready?"

_'Yup!'_ says Victini.

_'As I'll ever be!'_ says Gothitelle.

_'Oui, oui!'_ says Meloetta (in French).

"I hope that means you _are_ ready, Meloetta. You have a tendency to speak French whenever you're not quite okay with something. You're really nervous, aren't you?"

_'Yeah…'_

_'Don't worry, Melly!' _comforts Victini. _'You'll be fine!'_

_'Thanks, Vicky!'_

I almost go "Aw!" out loud. These two become slightly embarrassed if any of us do.

The three Psychic-Types go underneath the dome Isla created and use their powers to create the illusion of invisibility. The result is spectacularly amazing. Within seconds, the dome is all we can see. Then, that's completely gone, except for the outline. Finally, even _that's_ gone.

"Let's go to the Skyarrow Bridge!" I have no idea who says that. It was probably Isla, but then again, it could have been N or Hilda or even Cheren.

We march through the trees that mark the boundaries of the clearing as friends, but with each step we take, we become more and more like comrades and family. I feel that we are soldiers walking the road of destiny, the road to saving our world. Even though we're merely going to Undella Town. When once we reach the boundary of Pinwheel Forest, we walk straight through the trees without so much as a backward glance.

* * *

><p>Enjoying the story so far? Team Heaven is finally going to Undella Town to meet with the other Champions and all of Ash Ketchum's travelling companions! And quick question, do I ramble? I'm only asking because this tale has taken me twenty chapters to get to this point and my other FanFiction, The Story of Damos (please read), is on Chapter 21 and I am nowhere near up to where I know I should be. Please let me know. Thank you.<p>

Oh, and I _have_ seen kangaroos and emus. It's just for story purposes. Seriously, how can you live in Australia and not see koalas, kangaroos, emus, platypuses, echidnas, snakes...? I love the native animals of my home! It's such a shame that the koala is endangered...


	21. Chapter 21

I take a deep breath and start the short yet infinitely long walk to the gate. The place is still a mess and the Electric Black River actually lives up to its name. It's horrible! I'm so glad Mei isn't around to see this. The river is just disgusting. It's oily black and has electricity jolting up from it. Every spark is like black lightning. Absolutely DIS. GUS. TING. Seriously. Under different circumstances, I might actually enjoy the sight. As it is, well, YUCK!

In amongst the rippling oily sheen are the dead bodies of naked people and Pokémon. Only, they're not full bodies. The bodies are all just pieces of each other, so now, no one can put them back together.

"Fuck this!" I cry out. Once again, as when I was at the place where the stairs should have been back in Aspertia, my Poké Balls rattle and if it weren't for the fact they were all in my bum bag, all of my Pokémon would literally come out and use their strongest moves on me for saying that word in public.

"Rosa!" cries everyone else.

"Sorry. Let's go."

"No," Cheren says simply.

"Huh?"

"We have to give ourselves different names if we want to go through to Castelia unhindered. Take a look at your Trainer Cards and see if they're different."

We obey and find our Trainer Cards have indeed been updated to reflect the change we went through. My name is now Akako. I take a peek at the others'. Cheren is now Hinto, Hilda is now Norberta, Bianca is now Blanchefleur, N is now Vardon, and Hugh is now Donnelley. Our pictures are also updated. Now I just look weird. It reminds me of my very first ID photo when I was five. Mei and I had ours together. We simply couldn't be separated so we were issued with the exact same one.

"Now that we are completely different," N says (or should I say Vardon? I'm so confused…). "We'll have to start calling each other by our new names and being really mean otherwise everyone's gonna find out. Should be pretty easy. Ok. We ready?"

"Yep," we all answer in unison.

"Then let's go."

We walk to the gate and march inside, full of purpose. The Gate Clerk stops us when we get to his desk. "Papers, passports or Trainer Cards, please," he says, not looking over the top.

"We are all Grunts for the newly combined Team Hell, dweeb," Donnelley announces, showing his Trainer Card to the Gate Clerk. "Can't you tell by the uniforms?"

"M-m-my apologies, Sir," the Gate Clerk stammered. "I'm blind, you see."

"Maybe they should replace you."

I feel really bad for this Gate Clerk. What should I do? I know! I'll write him a really deeply embossed message and I can get the next Gate Clerk to give it to him! That'll have to be in Castelia, though.

"Really, really, really sorry, Sir," I whisper, half to myself and half to the Gate Clerk.

The Gate Clerk takes Donnelley's Trainer Card and scans it. He then writes a little note on it and hands it back. The Gate Clerk does the same for the rest of ours.

When we get outside and are in a place far from the Team Hell goonies we examine the blind man's handiwork. His script sure is beautiful. It reminds me of a loping creature I read about from the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series by Kathryn Lasky… I think she called them dire wolves? One thing's for certain, I would very much like to see an owl or even a dire wolf!

Anyway, you seriously can't tell that the guy's blind. I can read his writing really well. This is what he wrote on mine:

You'd never think a blind person could see, right?

I can see straight through your disguises.

Rosa, I know it's you under there.

You don't have to apologise for Hugh.

I heard what N said and it is perfectly understandable.

You have to get to Undella Town as soon as possible.

Good luck!

That's really sweet! Who knew the blind could see? Out of respect for the others, I decide not to ask about what theirs say.

All of a sudden, Vardon lets out a choking sound. We look toward him and see tears in his eyes. "What is it, Vardon?" Norberta asks.

"Remember how I told you Pignite and Emboar were taken by hunters?"

"Yeah?"

"The Gate Clerk says they're alive."

There is the sound of a collective gasp. "You're kidding!" I murmur, hardly daring to believe it.

Vardon shakes his head. "Read it." He passes me his Trainer Card. I look at it and read the note aloud. It says:

N, I can see there was a lot of hurt for you in the past.

Don't worry about it anymore.

Let me tell you why.

The Emboar and Pignite who raised you are alive.

I saw them both before I went blind.

They are in the care of the Nurse Joy who resides at the beginning of Victory Road.

Good luck to you all!

I whistle. "Wow," I whisper, handing Vardon his Trainer Card. "You'll see them soon. Trust me!"

"Thank you, Akako."

"Let's go to Castelia City!"

We check to see if the coast was clear, then by twos we go to the bridge. I go with Donnelley. Norberta's off with Vardon (that's to be expected, seeing as they're engaged), Blanchefleur and Hinto are together (also to be expected, seeing as they, too, are lovey-dovey) and Isla is just travelling around the gang. How do I know she's there? The air becomes freezing around that invisible ice dome.

Before you ask, Donnelley and I don't have any sort of history! Not the gooey stuff, at least. We're just good friends. I may have had something like what Norberta and Vardon have with Donnelley long ago, but that was when we were little. Like, four-year-olds. Actually, I don't even think it was me. I think it was with Mei. Maybe that's why.

"Hey, are you okay?" Donnelley asks me.

"Just missing my family, I guess," I answer, truthfully enough. I can't even say my own sister's name with this stupid, messed up identity! Ugh! Why did they all have to combine? Why?!

"You'll see them again." Also truthfully enough. I wish there was some way we could communicate without speaking… wouldn't that be just awesome?

Soon, we are high above the Electric Black River. Unfortunately, not high enough to escape the horrific sight of those dead people and Pokémon. The electricity is jumping higher than the bridge. Now I seriously know what they mean by the phrase 'live wires'.

I feel a little dizzy and wobble a bit.

"Akako, are you okay?" Donnelley asks, placing his arm around my waist.

"No, I'm not, Donnelley! I think I will be when we get across the bridge, though."

* * *

><p>I hope you don't mind that while everyone is in their Team Hell disguises, I will call them by their new names. It's still them under there. If it gets confusing, I hope you find this chart (that is in no particular order) helpful.<p>

Rosa = Akako

N = Vardon

Hilda = Norberta

Bianca = Blanchefleur

Cheren = Hinto

Hugh = Donnelley


	22. Chapter 22

To be honest, I don't think I've hated anyone this much in my entire life. I hate Ghetsis for killing my family. I loathe him for joining up with the other Teams. I detest him for all the bad he's done. I abhor him for what he's put us through. I despise the creature he's become. I am disgusted by how low he has sunk.

We're on the other side of the Skyarrow and in the city itself. Somehow we managed to find a place that isn't overrun with refugees, rescuers, Team Hell goons and rubble from all the buildings. Even the Gym's destroyed! I wonder where Burgh's gone? Anyway, Donnelley had to sort of carry me across because of my dizziness. Gothitelle, Meloetta and Victini helped as well. Where's Mei when I need her? I could slap myself for thinking that! She's been dead for a few weeks now. Why did Ghetsis have to do this to me? _Why?!_

All of a sudden, I hear a voice. The voice is humming a little tune. It's not Ghetsis, and it's not Donnelly or Vardon or Hinto either… could it be…

"Mewtwo?" Isla murmurs, taking off her ice dome. It shatters with a sound like tinkling bells.

I sit up at the mention of the legendary Pokémon's name and gasp when I see him. It _is_ Mewtwo! And he's brought two girls with him. They look familiar somehow…

"Oh, my!" cries the pink-haired lady, rushing towards me.

"Rosa, are you alright?" asks the blonde woman.

"Anthea? Concordia? Is that you?" whispers Vardon.

'_Not now, we have to get her somewhere safe,'_ says Mewtwo as his body turns blue.

"Right."

Suddenly, I feel all warm and tingly inside. I look down at my white and copper curlicued hands. They're aglow with a blue sheen. A second later, I have to close my eyes because my chest feels really tight and I can't breathe. I feel as though I'm being sucked through a vacuum cleaner. It stops just when I think I can't take it anymore.

I gasp and open my eyes to see a beautiful forest, complete with a meadow and a lake. The lake seems to be speaking to me somehow but… I dunno. "Rosa…" it whispers. "Rosa… Rosa…"

"Here I am," I answer.

"Come toward me. My waters will heal you."

I try to stand up, but my friends push me back down. "I have to get to the lake!" I shout weakly. "It said it'll heal me."

The two strangely familiar women exchange a look and a nod. They pick me up and carry me between them. I feel peaceful and surrounded by love.

The women walk with me into the centre of the lake. They float me on my back and I hold my breath. They push me under so my nose is all that's breaking the surface of the lake.

"Rosa… Rosa… Rosa…" the lake continues to whisper. It's starting to sound more and more like my parents.

Though my eyes are closed, I can see, more and more clearly, a few faces. Mum's weird blonde bun and brown eyes… Dad's crinkly sapphire blue eyes and wild rowan wood hair. I miss you all so much.

"We miss you too, Beloved," Mum says. "But because your father and I love you, you can't keep coming to this world!"

"Yes," says Dad. "You are not-a done with this world. You still have much to do. I know it-a seems like you're moving around in circles like this, but you have to do it-a. All you have to do is head a-north to Nimbasa City, cross the Marvellous Bridge, go through White-a Forest and Black City and head northeast-a to Undella Town."

"Or you could catch that new subway to Undella from Castelia."

"But wouldn't the tracks be destroyed like Castelia?" I ask. Even when they were alive it was hard for me or Mei to get a word in edgewise. Seems like they took that quality with them to Heaven. And Dad also took his Italian accent.

"No, it-a was dug underground, remember? There's a subway station in every city but you have to go to the Pokémon Centre to get to it-a. Except-a for Nimbasa City. The station is at-a Gear Station. Remember?"

"Guido, slow down. I can't understand a word you're saying."

"You should slow down too, Joy."

They continue their good-natured bickering while I turn things over in my head. A subway station at the Pokémon Centre… "Mum, where in Castelia is the Pokémon Centre? I thought the whole city was destroyed with that tsunami." Mum _should_ know. After all, she _was_ among the many Nurse Joys.

"Do you honestly not know how quickly they rebuild with the help of the injured Pokémon who are well enough? Although, this has never happened before…"

An alarm bell suddenly goes off in my head and my parents start to fade.

"We'll see you again, Rosa."

In the background I hear a children and adults' choirs' rendition of _It's All Inside of You_.

_Be brave, be strong, be honest_

_Unto yourself be true._

_And with your friends beside you_

_you'll know what to do._

_Be brave, be strong, be honest_

_Unto yourself be true._

_And with your friends beside you_

_you'll know what to do._

_It's all inside of you._

Kinda ironic, isn't it? This encounter is going on inside my head. And it is all inside of me. For some really weird reason, I start humming _'They Live In _You' from the Lion King musical which I got to go see last year. Also ironic.

I open my eyes to see the women still standing over me. Beneath my hands I feel soft grass and daisies and I'm wearing my very first travelling outfit – the black stockings, loose high ankle lace-ups, flappy yellow short shorts, long sleeve halter neck shirt and tennis visor. "What did they tell you?" the blonde lady asks.

"There's a subway system extending underneath Unova," I answer. "And there're stations beneath every Pokémon Centre. Quick question, and I know this may sound rude, but who exactly are you two? I feel like I've met you both before, but I just can't seem to remember who you are."

They giggle slightly. "My name is Concordia," says the blonde lady.

"And my name is Anthea," answers the pink haired woman.

"May I ask how long I was unconscious for?"

"Only twenty minutes," answers Anthea, helping me sit up.

"Rosa, you shouldn't have tried to impersonate the Team Hell grunts."

"Why?" I jump up onto my feet. "And how else would we have been able to get to Undella Town without being recognised and stopped?"

"You are too innocent, far, far too innocent to even try to impersonate them. When you saw the state of the Black Electricity River, it triggered something in your brain to attack your body."

"But you're cured of that now," adds Concordia, getting up as well and placing a hand on my shoulder. "That's why you are back in your old travelling outfit."

Anthea gets up also. "Come on, the others are waiting."

They lead me to a very old, very big and very mossy willow tree. But they don't stop. They walk straight through, as though the tree were nothing more than a waterfall. Disbelieving, I follow them. And I also walk straight through. What I see amazes me beyond compare.

* * *

><p>Now, it'll get interesting. Soon, I promise, soon they will get to Undella Town. I know it has taken me <em>ages<em> to get to this point so thank you very much for sticking with me as I write this. Rosa is going to Undella Town!

Oh, before I forget, after this chapter, everyone will be called by their original names and not the ones I came up with earlier.

Enjoy...


	23. Chapter 23

Everyone is out of their Team Hell getups and in their old travelling outfits. I have never seen what Isla may wear for a journey. She looks really pretty in her perfectly faded jeans and Poké Ball T-shirt. Her warm cherry wood curls are falling down around her dainty shoulders and face charmingly and she looks really mature – almost _too _mature – for her age. You know those 3D glasses you get at the cinema? Well, combined with glasses of the same style, she looks like a teacher.

Hilda is in the same short shorts and singlet/vest as when I first met her two years ago. Her hat, high and bushy ponytail and black one quarter boots with pink laces make her seem ready for anything.

Bianca is wearing her long white pencil skirt, white top, orange pull-on vest, orange stockings, cream ballet flats and green beret. She looks like a preppy student.

Cheren is in the outfit he wore as Gym Leader, actually. He looks like a teacher (then again, he was and will continue to be one if this thing ever gets cleared up)!

Hugh is wearing his weird inky midnight blue trouser thingies, red sports jacket, and sockless sneakers. His midnight blue hair and red eyes make him seem like a crazy runner.

N is wearing his shackle-like bracelets and black and white hat. He's also got his green shoes and white top and grey jeans. And… drumroll, please… _he cut and dyed his hair!_ I gasp. Well, it kinda makes sense when you think about it. He is one of the most recognisable people I know. His hair went from pale green and long to short and lemon yellow. Almost like Rudy from Markus Zuzak's _The Book Thief_.

"How are you feeling, Rosa?" Hugh asks, coming towards me.

"O-o-okay," I stammer.

"Cat got your tongue?" Hugh places his arm around my shoulders.

"Everyone looks so strange…"

"Oh yeah, you're not good with change, are you?"

I nod my head. "You remember how long it took for me to adjust to living in Aspertia City right? I didn't get a say in that. Ever since, I haven't been that good with changes I don't get a say in."

"But you do know that everyone you see here knows, loves and cares for you, right?"

"Yeah."

I come into the group and sit down. I try to follow their conversation about getting to Undella Town, but I keep thinking about how we're going to get to the train. They keep coming back to the same point. "Yeah, but _how_ _do we get there?_"

After ten minutes of listening and ripping grass out of the ground, I say, "There's a subway."

"Huh?" they all ask at once, turning to look at me. It's like they forgot I was here!

"There's a subway system extending beneath the surface of this whole world. There are stations at each and every Pokémon Centre. And there's also Gear Station in Nimbasa City and the Magnet Train in Saffron City and Goldenrod City in the Kanto and Johto regions respectively."

"Rosa, since when?" asks Hugh.

"Apparently it's always been there, but members of the public weren't allowed to use it. Only the Nurse Joys could use it to transport ill Pokémon to a more specialised Centre. The Officer Jennies could use it too, to spring onto their targets."

"How do you know this?" N asks.

"Mum was the residing Nurse Joy of Aspertia City until she married my Dad in 1994. They were killed on their twentieth wedding anniversary…" I add in a barely audible whisper.

Hugh tightens his grip around my shoulders. "It's okay. You'll see them again."

"Hugh, I've noticed that you seem a lot more at ease now. What happened with the mind control chip?"

"It's still there, but I guess you smashed the remote during your battle with Ghetsis back in Aspertia City."

"So… there's a subway system," says N. "How come we didn't use it in the first place?"

"I guess you guys had to pick Hugh, Isla and I up from Aspertia City first. We have to do this together with the heroes of the other regions. Otherwise, Team Hell is gonna use us all to get what they want. That much is clear." I get up and stand in what I hope is the confident pose of a leader. "We can get to Undella Town through the underground subway! Let's go!"

"But how do we get there without being recognised?" asks Isla.

"Honestly, we've changed so much already in the last few weeks that nobody's going to recognise us. But if you're concerned, let's create another 'Invisibilitice Dome' that's big enough for all of us. Is that okay with you, Isla?"

"Yeah, sure."

Ghetsis has messed with us for the last time. I promise you that if N can't do it, then I will. And I will make his death excruciatingly painful. I will make sure that Ghetsis dies. And it won't be murder, but it will be an execution. If N can't do it, I'll be the hangman. N will no longer suffer.

Everyone just stares at me. "D-did I just say that out loud?" I ask tentatively.

They nod.

"Oops. Even so, every last bit was true! But we can't keep hiding like this forever! If that means going out into the open, then so be it! If it means disguising ourselves yet again, then so be it! Team Hell has messed with us for the last time! Anyone else in agreement say 'aye'."

"Aye!" ring out eight voices.

Later, we're eating lunch, and all credit goes to Cheren, Bianca and Hilda this time. The original travellers have served up some delicious-looking Chinese and Japanese cuisine: sushi, curry rice, rice balls, fried and boiled gyoza (dumplings), fried rice, sautéed beef, spring rolls, mapou tofu and my absolute favourite in the whole wide world – Szechuan beef!

I say a much simpler prayer this time, but I get everyone to hold hands and pray with me. "Thank you, God, for the food, the cooks, our friends, and the day. Amen." Then we each say a silent prayer in our hearts. I pray that we can get through to Undella Town totally unhindered by, well, anything this time. And I'm sure we will.

After one measly bite of their Szechuan beef, my mouth feels as though it is literally on fire. I rush to the lake, screaming in pain, and then dunk my whole head in under the water. "Hahh…" I sigh. That feels so much better. I slowly walk back to the table and sit down. I pour some fried rice over it and eat it like that. With chopsticks, mind you.

Mum and Dad made us some delicious Chinese and Japanese food every month the week before the full moon festival. So I quickly learned how to eat with chopsticks. It's actually really easy, once you get the hang of it. I think Mum and Dad gave us some _very_ mild Szechuan beef and Mei and I couldn't stop screaming and crying and carrying on like a Grumpig chop. It wasn't even worthy of Level 1 spiciness! So the next time they made it for us, they totally removed the chilli, bar one little flake. Gradually we got used to it, and even asked if they could make it every week.

But I swear that what I had just now was Level 3 – the highest spice level. Eat that and you'll be sweating vigorously, your face will be red, steam will pour out of your ears, and you'll be screaming at such a high pitch that only the dog-like Pokémon will hear you. And to top it all off, you won't be able to talk normally for weeks. That'll only happen if you are not used to it at all.

"How much chilli did you put in there?" I ask Cheren, Bianca and Hilda hoarsely. "And more importantly, what type and part?"

"We only put in three adult chilli seeds," answers Cheren. "I must have forgotten to stir it…"

I stare daggers at him. So do Hilda and Bianca.

"Ladies, ladies, calm down!" N and Hugh patronise.

"Yes, if this is what you are like during the good times, how will you ever cope with the bad?" Anthea asks. She is really well-spoken. She speaks better English than I do, and at first, they could only understand Pokémon. They lost that language when Ghetsis adopted them so they had to learn English and for some reason, they always sound as if they have just stepped out of a Jane Austen or Charlotte Brontë novel.

Bianca, Hilda and I apologise.

"No, I should be the one who's apologising. I should have stirred it when I had the chance."

"Anthea, Concordia, where exactly are we?" I ask the sisters.

"We are just a kilometre away from the central Unovan side of Marvellous Bridge."

"How did we skip Nimbasa City?"

"Your Meloetta, Victini and Gothitelle Teleported us here when they sensed you were in danger."

"And where's Mewtwo?"

"Mewtwo is on the other side of the lake."

For the first time this year, I truly feel as though we have achieved at least something. And Mewtwo is within walking distance!

* * *

><p>Sorry for the long wait for the upload, everyone. Please forgive me. And I have tried Szechuan beef. Oh, boy, is it hot! I think I downed four glasses of water just by having a bowl of the stuff! And trust me, four glasses of water for me is such a huge achievement. I don't even drink a full kiddy-sized Pokémon drink bottle that I got from the Queensland Ekka last year at school! But it is very delicious. Once you get around the heat of the chillies, it's almost heavenly. Heh. No pain, no gain.<p> 


	24. Chapter 24

"Mummy, why do some Pokémon evolve and others don't?" I remember asking Mum, when I was very little. That day at Trainer School, three of the five Pokémon we were using for practise battling evolved from little Lillipup to much more frightening Herdier. We all screamed and ran away to behind our teacher, Mrs Daskalov, who had this crazy stereotypical Australian accent, just like the one from Crocodile Dundee.

"No one knows, Rosa," Mum said, not stopping stirring the batter for her heavenly marbled sponge cake. "When you get to Heaven, you can ask God that question."

"But we wanna know now!" Mei whined, trying to climb up onto the kitchen island.

Mum sighed, her long and straight lemon yellow hair falling like a heavy theatre curtain behind her. "I know you both want to know now, but that isn't the way life is."

"Why?" we asked.

Mum turned the mixer off and put it down. She grabbed Mei and put her down then she hugged the both of us. "You'll understand some day," she whispered. "I know you want to know now, but even the leading Pokémon professors don't have an answer for that question."

I think I understand the answer to that question now. It's like how God called my parents and sister but left me behind. We don't always understand why but we know we can do something about it. I think I understand why God wants me to stay here. To bring Nate and Hilbert home safely and to help rebuild Unova. Our world has never been in more danger.

"Hello? Earth to Rosa!" calls Cheren.

I shake myself awake. "Oh, sorry, I was lost in thought," I say. "What were you saying?"

"I was saying that once we go through Route Sixteen, cross Marvellous Bridge, and travel along Route Fifteen we'll have to go through White Forest to get to Route Fourteen before we get to Undella Town. White Forest is still neutral, so we should be safe."

"Just curious, how come we didn't get one of our Psychic-Types to use Teleport in the first place? It would've saved us all so much trouble. It takes you straight to the Pokémon Centre, doesn't it?"

Everyone stares at me, totally gobsmacked. This is the perfect time for a face palm, which I do. "You seriously didn't think of that _at all_?"

"It's a good thing we didn't think of it at first, even though we would have saved ourselves a lot of trouble."

"Why?"

"We ran into you, Hugh and Isla," answers Hilda, placing her arm around my shoulders. "We learned about what happened to the south-west of Unova. I am really grateful for that because I will truly be able to fulfil the promise I made to you and your sister. To be honest, I was actually thinking of wearing a black veil with a bouquet of black flowers in the first place!"

"Really?"

"Really. Come on; let's go see Mewtwo, like a friend should."

We walk through the throngs of Pokémon and find the lake. On the side opposite to us is Mewtwo. We are at least a kilometre away from the legendary Pokémon.

Suddenly a bridge of light appears. It's almost like a rope bridge, or the Driftveil Drawbridge. I step onto it tentatively and begin to walk across, half expecting to fall into the water. Hilda steps on after me and we walk across the bridge together.

"Rosa, I was thinking," Hilda begins.

"That's dangerous," I counter.

"Very funny. I was thinking that after N and I get married and come back from our honeymoon, you could come and live with us."

I stop and turn around. "Would you really have me live with you, Hilda?"

"Why am I asking if I wouldn't?"

"True." I continue walking. "But what about all the Pokémon? And would I have to pay rent or board? And adoption papers?"

"Gee, Rosa, slow down! We'll worry about all that _after_ we save the world, okay? Just think about it as an option, alright? I know you're nearly old enough to live on your own anyway, but we'd love to have you with us. Okay?"

"Okay." I turn all this over in my mind. Wow. So N and Hilda want me to live with them! I would love that! But they're more like brother and sister than parents for me, so I'm not sure about full-blown adoption… I'd be more than thrilled if I could live with them, though! If only Mei were here…

I'm so lost in the sea of my thoughts that I don't notice when I come to the edge of the bridge. As a result, I faceplant straight in to the mud of the banks of the lake. Ouch.

"Rosa, are you alright?"

"Yeah." I look down and see that my outfit is all muddy. I sure hope it's not dry clean only…

"The clothes are gonna be fine. Look, Mewtwo's right there."

I walk up to the purple and lilac Pokémon, who is sitting cross-legged and – _floating_? Oh, yeah, I forgot that it's a Psychic-Type…

"Hello, Mewtwo."

_'Hello, Rosa and Hilda,'_ it answers, standing up. _'Are you feeling better, Rosa?'_

"Much better, thank you. Anthea and Concordia explained why I collapsed. I'm fine now."

_'Rosa, I know you've been feeling lost and confused lately, and it is understandable. The moment you bring Nate and Hilbert back will be one of total clarity. You and N must destroy Ghetsis as soon as possible. If you don't… he'll come back to haunt you every two years. He didn't manage to take over Unova twice, so of course he thinks this time's the charm.'_

"Mewtwo, you're of the Psychic-Type, aren't you?" Hilda asks.

_'That is correct. Why do you ask, Hilda?'_

"We need to ask you a favour."

"You see, we need to get to Undella Town for a gathering of all the heroes of the different regions. Being the greatest Pokémon Master to have ever existed, Ash Ketchum is going to lead the proceedings. Even Isla has to go to this, and she's only nine, hardly old enough to even be a Trainer."

_'You want me to teleport you there, right?'_

"Not all the way… maybe to a few hundred metres before the beach, maybe even into the sea?"

Mewtwo sighs, dejectedly, almost. _'I will do it. Only on one condition.'_

"Name it," we chorus.

_'Isla is petrified of me and has been since she was little, very little. Only I know why.'_

"May you please tell us why, Mewtwo?" I ask.

_'When she was one year old and a toddler just learning to walk, she often wandered into Papa's bedroom, far from the watchful eyes of her parents. She'd sit with him and babble in toddlers' English. One day, I was there when she happened to come in. I remember it as clearly as if it were just yesterday. I think I was using Psychic on him, at his request, to lessen the pain of the disease as it consumed him when she came in. She saw me bending over him and the both of us glowing. Isla screamed at the top of her lungs, which brought her parents running. By the time they arrived, I was gone and he was his normal, yellow and saggy-skinned self. She never went in without her mother since.'_

"That must be when he caught the Purrloin for her… how thoughtful!" I whisper. Oh, Papa, if you can hear me now, Isla has grown into a lovely young lady. She is no longer afraid of the beautiful creatures we call Pokémon.

* * *

><p>Do you like these little snippets of Rosa's past that I give? She is an interesting person, going through all sorts of turmoil. Her sister, her parents... now Nate and Hilbert... she's really strong, isn't she?<p> 


	25. Chapter 25

Finally we are on the other side of Route 14! I can't believe it! Undella Town is just a few metres away! "We're finally here…" Unfortunately, we had to leave Anthea and Concordia behind. They seemed alright with it, though.

I know this whole Route and Town like the back of my hand. And there seems to be nobody around, so I rush forward and run and splash in the water, laughing my head off. "Come on in, everyone!" I yell, beckoning to them with wet hands. "The water's wonderful!"

A moment's hesitation, then Isla rushes in as well. Then Hugh, Hilda, Bianca, Cheren, and N. Only Mewtwo remains. I suppose he's keeping guard. '_Shh_,' he whispers suddenly, running to just a metre behind the tideline. We fall silent and become still as statues. Poor Hugh was just about to jump.

Mewtwo is now searching out the aura of the perpetrator. '_It's alright, now_,' he whispers. '_But we are being watched by Ash Ketchum. He's on Cynthia's front porch_.'

"_The_ Ash Ketchum?" Isla mouths. Mewtwo nods. We all rush out of the water and run to the steps leading up to the town. Even though it's summer, the music that is playing now is the tune from the rest of the year. Only, it's sad and disjointed. And really, really slow.

The figure on the front porch goes back inside and comes out a while later. He meets us at the flagstone, gold and sapphire stairs up from the beach. He turns to N. "It's been far too long, N."

"Likewise, Ash." They bow to each other.

"And I hope you won't be pushing me into the ocean here, Bianca," Mr Ketchum laughs.

"Yeah, sorry about all that…" Bianca giggles. They bow as well.

"Good to see you, Cheren. I hope we can have a Gym battle when all this is over."

"I'm sure we will." They bow.

"And I don't believe I've met the others."

We introduce ourselves and bow to him, which he does also.

"Rosa, don't you have a twin? Where's she?" Mr Ketchum asks.

"Mei was killed by Ghetsis… last month…" I whisper, not meeting his eyes.

Mr Ketchum is silent for a while. He lifts my chin so I have to see the two clear chatoyant quartz wells of tears. "I'm really sorry to hear that, Rosa. Are you alright with it?"

"The grief?" He nods. "Yeah, I'm doing pretty okay with it…"

"Rosa, don't forget that you have great friends here with you. They understand. We all understand."

"Thank you, Mr Ketchum," I reply, bowing again.

"Call me Ash, okay?"

I smile at his friendliness. "Okay."

Ash suddenly turns away and walks toward the beach. Toward Mewtwo. The wind is carrying their conversation towards us.

"Mewtwo, it's so great to see you again after so long." Oh my gosh, is Ash bowing to a Pokémon?!

'_Ash, don't bow to me_,' Mewtwo chides, straightening the human. '_After what you did for me and the cloned Pokémon thirteen years ago, I should be bowing to you. Not only did you prove me wrong, but you saved all of us and I am so grateful to you for that_.'

"Well, now, we need to work together again. Are you willing to do so?"

'_I have no choice. If all the Teams really are working together, then all of us are in even more danger than before. And you must be the one to lead us_.'

I can see him shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. His hands are in his pockets. "You have no idea how big a responsibility this is, Mewtwo," Ash growls through clenched teeth.

'_I do, Ash. I also know that as surely as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, you can do it. I know this because you have saved so many legendary Pokémon from human beings, myself included. I mean, for goodness' sake, you returned the Jewel of Life to Arceus in two thousand and nine or whenever it was! And let's not forget the promise you made to Victini!_' Wow. Mewtwo sure sounds angry. '_You saved me twice and did so many other things for the Pokémon of this world! That's why I know you can lead us_.'

They begin to whisper so we can't hear. After five minutes of heated whispering, Ash and Mewtwo embrace and walk back.

"Follow me to Cynthia's villa, everyone."

We shuffle through the sand and climb the sandy stairs to the only standing Pokémon Centre in the whole region. He then leads us through town and (darn!) up some more stairs to the courtyard. Wow. Cynthia must be really rich if she can afford a whole one hundred metre square of flagstones. In the centre of the courtyard is a mural, made of gold, silver, bronze, copper, emeralds, sapphires and rubies depicting a very old man on a cross with a sword sticking straight through his heart.

I stop. "Ash? What exactly is this mural here?" I ask, pointing to the design.

He shrugs. "I'm not really sure," he answers, "but I think it may be Ghetsis. Speaking of which, what was he like when you saw him this year?"

"He wore that black great coat when he killed my family, then the old ceremonial robes – which were quite, well, ruined – when I met him in the woods, and then a tailored suit the last time."

"Interesting…" he says, then he continues walking with the others, while I'm still staring at the design in the stones. I run to catch up.

Ash knocks on the door and a very well dressed butler opens the door. His moustache waggles a bit as he motions us inside.

"Greetings, Mr Ketchum and fellow travellers," he says in a very posh British accent. "My name is Jervis and I am the butler residing at and maintaining this villa. May I take your shoes, sirs and madams?"

"Thank you!" we all take them off and give them to the butler, who takes them without a word.

"Cynthia has a very strict rule about coming inside with sandy shoes," Ash explains.

Soon, Jervis is back and leads us upstairs to the kitchen/dining/living room. I don't know how to say the name properly as it is very large open plan living.

The people inside the sweet Oshawott light blue room are sitting down and standing, talking, laughing. It's almost like a party. They're all wearing their old outfits, like we are; only theirs are freshly washed and ironed.

"Well, well, well, look who it is," a very familiar voice says quietly. The party stops all at once. I look around frantically for the speaker, and who do I see?

"Is that you, Iris?" I ask of a small, dark skinned girl with purple hair.

"Sure is! But hey, where's Mei?"

"I-I-I'll tell you all soon," I whisper, not daring to meet her eyes.

"Ash Ketchum!" cries a twenty-seven-year-old redhead. "Who are these guys?"

"Misty Kersey, these are the travellers I told you about. I'm sure you recognise N, Bianca and Cheren from that dumb cartoon they made of us. And these are Hilda, Hugh, Isla and Rosa." He taps each of us on the head as he says our names.

"Hi," I say, bowing sheepishly. "Nice to meet you."

"You, too."

We go around the room and meet everyone once again. That's about one hundred people. I wonder where the meetings are held...

"Everyone, there is a meeting to be held after dinner, so once you have eaten, please make your way to the secret room," Ash calls out, his voice strong and clear. "The time until and during dinner is to be used for mingling with others from different regions. Get to know each other some more!"

Everyone else from the group that I arrived with is mingling, but I'm sitting down at the humongous mahogany dining table. I feel so shy. I mean, I know the Unova Gym Leaders and the Elite Four and Champion, but I don't know anyone else. While I'm sitting down, grieving and feeling sorry for myself, Misty drags over a twenty-nine-year-old man and gets him to sit down. "Come on, Red!" she laughs. "You have to say at least _something_! It's a party, for crying out loud!"

Red is just silent. Brooding, I guess.

"Fine then," she huffs. She comes over and sits next to me. "Hey, Rosa, how are you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks."

Misty suddenly turns all serious. It's actually kinda creepy. She fidgets with her suspenders to get them to sit better. "Rosa, I can see quite clearly that you aren't fine. Do you mind telling me why?"

I think for a moment. Surely it wouldn't hurt to tell Misty, right? I mean, she _is_ one of Ash's oldest friends. And she can get really quite fiery – at least, from what I saw on the TV show. "Misty, can I trust you?"

"Of course you can, Rosa!"

"And Red's not gonna say anything in the foreseeable future?"

She looks over her shoulder at the strangely silent man. "As far as I can tell."

"I-I had a twin..."

"_Had_?" she interrupts.

"Yeah... Mei was murdered by Ghetsis." There's a collective gasp. From both Red and Misty. Tears are starting to well up and I'm starting to shake uncontrollably as I blurt out the whole ordeal of last month. "It was the Aspertia City Full Moon Festival. I was given a new Polaroid camera for my birthday the previous fortnight and I hadn't tried it out yet. So I stayed back to take pictures of the moon, as per usual. When I was heading back, I noticed an orange glow coming from the direction of my house. I ran over and saw that it was on fire." The tears are streaming down my face. "Inside, I saw an old man laughing maniacally. My parents and Mei were impaled on his cane. Ghetsis came towards me, still holding that cane that had my family on it." I could tell that I was about to break down and under normal circumstances I would try and keep it all in, but at the moment, I'm so miserable I couldn't care less. "I took a photo of that terrible scene. There was blood everywhere. Their eyes were open... Mei lifted her head, locked eyes with me and mouthed my name. Then she just... died.

"Then that Gitsis said that he was going to kill me. I screamed and screamed and screamed, and it seems as if Mewtwo heard my desperate plea because that's who came barging into the room through the broken window. He picked me up using Psychic and dropped me off somewhere in Pinwheel Forest, which is miles away from Aspertia."

Misty is silent for a while, then she lifts her downcast eyes. I see glistening turquoise. "I'm so sorry, Rosa," but it's not Misty who says that.

"You spoke!" Misty cries, turning to the normally silent man.

"Yeah, I suppose I did. We're here for you. I'm so, so, so sorry that you had to go through something like that. But your sister would be proud of where you are now."

"Thank you for trying to make me feel better, Red. I appreciate it."

"Red has a point, Rosa. You're doing wonderfully!"

I smile at them both. Suddenly, Ash comes into the room with a grimace. He is so pale it's frightening.

"Ash, what happened?" Misty asks, noticing me stare at his blank as a slate face.

"It's horrible!" he whispers.

* * *

><p>Sorry that this one is so long. And if you do the calculations correctly, it does come up to about a hundred people in the one room.<p>

Suspense! What is this horrible incident?

And I realised just now that I haven't put in Pikachu anywhere. Whoops! Let's just say that he's getting a little R&R at the Pokémon Centre for now.


	26. Chapter 26

I suddenly realise that Ash's Pikachu, who would normally be hanging out on his shoulder, isn't there. "Misty," I ask, "Where's Pikachu?"

"Ash left it at the Pokémon Centre for some R 'n' R," she answers. She pales and her pupils dilate. "Oh, no…" She gets up and runs to him. "Ash, what happened?" she asks again, grabbing his shoulders.

"The Pokémon Centre was broken into… Nurse Joy is injured pretty badly and all the Pokémon are gone," he answers.

I get up, rush to Ash's side and Misty and I lead him over to the table. "Was it Team Hell?" I ask almost inaudibly.

"I think it was Team Rocket."

Misty rolls her eyes. "Not those three again!"

"Misty, you don't understand; it wasn't those three. Not Jessie, James and Meowth. Giovanni was leading the operation with Maxie, Archie, Cyrus and Ghetsis. Their Grunts were running rampant!"

"Yep. Team Hell."

By now, a crowd has gathered. I realise why they're not moving. All their Pokémon were at the Centre!

Suddenly, I decide to take charge. "Iris and Brock, can you please go to the Pokémon Centre and do what you can to help Nurse Joy?"

"Certainly! Come on, Brock!" Iris yells, grabbing her backpack and rushing out of the room.

_'Slow down, Iris!'_ cries Axew, hanging on for dear life.

"Hey! Wait up, Iris!" Brock calls back, grabbing his backpack and rushing out after her.

Now I'm just trying to think what I should get the rest of them to do. There's absolutely no way we can stop them without the help of our Pokémon! Hang on. I've still got eighteen of them! "Guys!" I call out to my friends. "Do you still have your Pokémon?"

"Yes!" they call out in unison.

"Okay, good… we'll have to go outside to the courtyard for this next bit. When we get downstairs, you'll have to lend yours to everyone else until you have one left. Then those who remain will have to partner up with one who has. Clear?"

In answer, everyone rushes towards the door and heads downstairs. Only Ash stays back. He mumbles something inaudible and I take his hand and try to pull him up. "Pikachu…" he whispers.

I have to lead the poor man downstairs. I have no idea what to say, but I might try comforting him in the way that he comforted me. But what should I say? Pikachu has been with Ash for seventeen years! In my heart, I know that Pikachu is alive and well. I would like to believe it, but after what a partly sane and partly insane Ghetsis did to my family, I'm not sure. Mei was so much better at this sort of stuff than I am!

Before I can say anything, Ash's phone starts ringing. He jumps and then starts fumbling in his pockets for it. "Hello, this is Ash…" he murmurs in answer to the call. He suddenly stiffens. "What do you mean, Pikachu's being held for ransom?!"

I gasp and clap my hand over my mouth.

"Okay… alright, yep… we'll be there as soon as we can. What? They only want Rosa? Let me explain to her first. Hang on." He takes the phone away from his head and puts it against his shirt. "Rosa… Ghetsis wants you as a ransom for Pikachu."

I sway on my feet. The stone stairs start swinging, forcing me to sit down. Okay. So this is it. This is how I'm to die. At the hands of those horrid Team Leaders. I can feel the Poké Balls in my pockets rattling. Victini, Meloetta and Samurott pop out. Seeing my distraught face, the two Psychic-Types rush into my arms and Samurott starts licking my face. I wish I could stay strong for them, but I can't. Tears start falling out of my eyes. "I might never see you guys again…" I whisper.

_'Rosa, what are you talking about?'_ Victini cries. I can feel the V heat up. I welcome its warmth. Knowing that it could possibly be the last time I feel it, I let the dam break. Tears fall out of my eyes and cascade down my face. Ash sits down next to me and I lean into him.

"Team Hell has taken Ash's Pikachu for ransom. They don't want any money, they want _me_."

_'Rosa, _no!_'_ cries Samurott.

I nod, sobbing. "I'll have to go outside to say a proper goodbye to you all. I love you all so much and am so proud of each and every one of you."

"Where do you want to go, Rosa?"

I think for a moment. The perfect place to say goodbye to my friends would have to be my favourite sad place in the whole region.

Samurott knows what I'm thinking. _'The tower out past Mistralton, right?'_

I nod. "Yes… Celestial Tower…" I want to ring the bell there one last time. I haven't done it in ages. How fitting it is, to ring the bell that is meant for calming Pokémon… but instead to calm my own spirit before I go. I'll miss my friends and Pokémon more than I'll ever be able to say.

"For some reason, it fits the situation, Rosa." Ash gets up and takes my hand, leading me up slowly. "The Pokémon Cemetery is the sight of many last goodbyes…"

"Yeah…" I return my Pokémon to their Poké Balls and we continue down the stairs.

Before I know it, we're outside and on the courtyard. Isla rushes up to me and gives me a squeeze. The comfort I feel in this hug is enough to keep me going until it's time. Her small arms are so strong and she feels rather cold. "Rosa, don't do it!" she murmurs. Ice cold tears soak into my shirt.

I gently prise her off me, grab hold of her shoulders, and kneel down so we're at eye level. "I have to, Isla… if I don't, Team Hell will go nuts."

We embrace again, for perhaps the final time. When Isla lets go, Iris is behind her. I stand and she squeezes me. She is strong enough that I feel like I'm being strangled. "You're of more value to them alive than dead, so don't do anything rash, okay?" she whispers. "We'll come get you. Once we know where you are, we'll find you."

"Thank you, Iris."

The tearful goodbyes continue for at least another hour. Out of all of them, I think Hilda and N cry the most. Even Reshiram and Zekrom shed a few tears. N is going to take me and Hilda to Celestial Tower on Zekrom. The knowledge that I may never meet any of them again is almost enough to break my heart in two and shatter my soul like an eggshell. I suppose Ghetsis now wants to finish the job. But Iris may be right. I could be worth more than the finest gold alive and not even a Splash dead to them. I hope she's right.

* * *

><p>This seems a little cheesy, right? But Rosa's not going to die. Not until it's her proper time to go.<p> 


	27. Chapter 27

The breeze up here is so calming and peaceful. Even though I could be dying in the next few days, I feel utterly at peace with myself and the world. I wonder which part of life I'll miss the most… my best friends and my Pokémon, or the interaction with other people that comes as a result of having a physical body. Being a moving entity scares me. I mean no offence to Muslim women who choose to wear a burqa, but how can they cope with other people not seeing them? I'm so glad I could make a difference and that people could see me do it.

I think of all the fun times I had with Mei, Hugh, Isla, Nate and our Pokémon. The day I burnt my hands and Mei calmed me down. The day we tried having a battle with the five of us and our parents' little Pokémon; Lillipup, Patrat, Riolu, Starly and Zigzagoon. The day Mei brought me out of my bubble. Mei was always there for me, from the very beginning. Mei, I miss you so much. But I could soon see you again. If Team Hell's plans come into fruition.

"Ready to bring your Pokémon out, Rosa?" Hilda whispers, placing her hand on my shoulder. I nod in answer.

"Come on out, everyone!" I call out, throwing the Poké Balls into the air. There's Lucario, Kyurem, Keldeo, Virizion, Cobalion, Terrakion, Swanna, Gothitelle, Victini, Zorua, Meloetta, Milotic, Tornadus, Axew, Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Charmander.

"It's time for me to say goodbye to you all," I whisper, trying not to sob and not making eye contact. "Pikachu was kidnapped… I'm the ransom. I have to go so I can save Pikachu. The world's greatest Pokémon Master can't function if something horrible happened to Pikachu. We need the world's greatest Pokémon Master to save the world, do you understand?"

They all cry out. Things like: _'You can't give yourself up!' – 'Please don't do this!' – 'We need you!'_ You get the idea. "I want to save the world. If that means giving myself up as a ransom, then so be it."

They form a line that extends the circumference of this tower's summit. Lucario, Samurott, Emboar, Victini, Meloetta, Zorua, Kyurem and the three Kanto starters are last. Tears are shed from all parties. Meloetta and Victini rush up to me when it's their turn and proceed to bawl their eyes out. "Stay strong," I tell them softly. "You can do this."

They sniffle up their tears after fifteen minutes. _'Good luck, Mistress Rosa,'_ they whisper, kissing each of my cheeks.

Samurott bends her proud head down and I kiss the middle three fingers of my left hand and place them on her forehead. Legend has it that this is the most powerful way to transmit your feelings and thoughts when you can't say any of them out loud. In our energy is sadness, pain, anger and a plan.

_'Knock them all dead,'_ she whispers.

"Oh, I'll do more than that. Trust me."

The three Kanto starters rush up to me and also begin crying. I bend down and pat each of them on the head. "Be strong and watch out for each other, okay?"

_'Okay,'_ they sniffle.

Zorua's next. He has turned into the handsome boy from Aspertia. Unruly black and red hair, with a cowlick sticking straight up, red top, black shorts and sneakers, and a cute little black tail. He throws his arms around my neck. _'Good luck with whatever your plan is,'_ he whispers. _'And make sure you come back alive and in one piece!'_

"Of course I will!" I reach for the tuft of fur at his bottom. He transforms into the foxy little Pokémon I know and love. "I don't like kissing your human form, and I like you better as a Pokémon anyway." I kiss his forehead. He jumps out of my hands and lands neatly on the ancient stone pavers.

Now it's Emboar's turn. _'Say hello to Mei for us when you get the chance, okay?'_

"My plan is to not die with a goal to see her again. So I will."

Emboar stands aside to allow Kyurem to pass. I dig in my pockets for something I vowed never to use again. _'Is that…?'_ he asks.

"Yes, Kyurem, it is. The DNA Splicers." I take his extremely icy cold claw and place them in it. I close his claws. "I'm giving these to you so you can use them if ever you, Zekrom and Reshiram can't do it alone in your own formes. Only use these Splicers as a last resort, okay?"

_'I promise.'_

Kyurem moves away so Lucario can come. Before me I see no Pokémon. I see a comrade and a friend and an older brother. Tears are flowing freely and his body is shaking. His seems slumped in his skin and every step seems to be an effort. _'Why? Why are you doing this to me?'_

"It's for the friends I haven't met yet. Would you do the same?"

_'Yes… yes I would. But don't you dare die!'_

"I won't. I have a plan."

_'Knock 'em all dead, okay?'_

"Sure."

I slowly, reverently, walk up the steps to the bell. I only ever did this once. I grab hold of the rope. "This is for my family!" I cry into the heavens, pulling the rope. Its sound is loud and clear. It is a sad tone, but mingled with determination. I know my plan will work. "This is for my friends!" The second pull becomes the second ring. "This is for my Pokémon!" The third pull becomes the third ring. "This is for the friends I have yet to meet!" The fourth pull becomes the fourth ring. "And this last one is for me. _Come at me, Team Hell!"_ The fifth pull becomes the fifth and final ring.

I grab all eighteen of my Poké Balls. "Return, everyone!" Lucario, Samurott, Meloetta and Victini dodge the beams. "I have to keep you safe. You must return to your Poké Balls, please. Return!" This time they stand perfectly still.

I walk up to N and Hilda and give them all of my Poké Balls. "Take care of them… all of them."

"We will, Rosa," N says.

I embrace the two of them and they squeeze back. "You've been just like family to me these past few weeks. I'll never forget this – never." We stay in that embrace for over half an hour. "I think it's time."

* * *

><p>Next chapter will be when they've just arrived back in Undella Town. Spoiler: Rosa lives. She is more valuable alive to Ghetsis than the finest gold and worth less than nothing dead.<p> 


	28. Chapter 28

The minute Reshiram lands on the soft sands of Undella Town, I jump off, pat her strong, muscular leg, whisper a thank you to all present, and run to the Pokémon Centre with tears in my eyes. The wind has picked up suddenly and it's flinging all the loose grains of sand on the beach towards me. The grains are so sharp they scratch me a little. The automatic doors of the Pokémon Centre loom in the distance. My heart is pounding. The sound of the blood rushing in my head mingles with the sound of the waves crashing on the beach, rendering both sounds indistinguishable. Mei… this wasn't the way it was meant to be, was it? I wasn't meant to be sacrificed as ransom, was I? All the same, it'll be great to see you again. I miss you.

But what'll happen to Nate and Hilbert? I feel as though I was definitely the one to save them both. Will that plan come into fruition? Or will I be stuck in this world forever? I honestly don't want to know. I'm so scared. I want to curl up into a ball and never move another step in the direction of my fate. But I know I must. It's for Ash, Pikachu, the saviours of each region, the Gym Leaders of each City and Town, the Elite Fours and the Champions, not to mention the general public!

I feel the Earth rumble beneath me and resist my instinctual urge to curl up into a ball. In fact, I do the exact opposite. I run faster than I thought possible and trip several times. It's ironic that the very place which kick-started my mother's career is to be the final destination for my life as I know it.

The doors are suddenly in front of me, barring my way. I bang on them several times. "It's Rosa Stark!" I yell at the glass. "I've come. I'm come as the ransom for the Pikachu belonging to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

The doors open. The Team Hell Grunts are standing to attention on either side of the doors, all the way to the counter where Nurse Joy normally sits. This time, Ghetsis is behind it. And he's got Pikachu tied up in a rope made of the strongest ever String Shot.

Before I can make any sort of move, two Grunts come behind me and tie my wrists at my back. One of them looks really familiar… I swear it's Nate!

"Rosa, don't move," the familiar-looking one says. "It's me, Nate. The other guy's called Hilbert."

"You can trust us," Hilbert whispers. "We'll do our best not to hurt you, but we can't make any guarantees."

"Okay," I say in a barely audible whisper. I trust you, I want to say. Just please let us all get outta here alive!

"Play along," Nate hisses, jabbing me in the back with a knife.

I gasp as they make me walk forwards. They say things like – "Move it!" – "Faster!" – "Hurry up!" and such.

I hold my head up high, refusing to give anyone the satisfaction of noise.

"Look how the mighty have fallen!" one Grunt yells, throwing a tomato at me. Thank God he has such terrible aim.

"Look at you now, Starky!" jibes another. "Not so wilful now, are you?"

I can't believe them. They're just being the idiotic Grunts they always have been and always will be. I refuse to give in to their taunts. I refuse to surrender. Yeah, yeah, I know that that's what I've _technically _done, but I trust these guys. I kinda have to, if I want to get the four of us (Pikachu, Hilbert, Nate and myself) outta here.

"Not so powerful or beautiful now, are we, Miss Unova?" mocks another, throwing a rotten tomato at me. It hits me square in the face. That does it.

I stop dead. I jump and bring my hands in front of me. I calmly wipe it off and walk to the Grunt who threw it. Oh, goody! It's a guy! He spits at me. In return, I kick him where it hurts. And _very_ hard. There's a loud crack and I know it's not the armour around it. He kneels on the ground in agony.

I jump and bring my hands to my back. Proud and haughty, I walk back to my cousin and perhaps-soon-to-be-uncle. I feel as though I've accomplished something major. How do you like _that_? I think and want to say. How does it feel to have your gender-identifying feature broken beyond repair?

"Rosa!" Nate hisses in my ear. "You should not have done that. Now the punishment is going to be far more severe."

"How so?"

"You of all people should know what Ghetsis is capable of," Hilbert adds. "Nate cried for hours when I told him that he killed Mei and nearly killed you. Please don't let there be another death in the family, least of all _you_. Got it?"

"Okay."

That rotten tomato may be the last veggie thrown at me, but it is far from the last insult. Many Grunts spit on me and call me horrible names, names that are far worse than the ones bullies use. I would know. Simply because I used to hang out with guys and the only girl was Mei. Nate, Hugh, Ben and Aiden were great. They helped me get through all those names. Honestly, I wouldn't be the woman I am today if it weren't for the bullies. Now I just feel sorry for them.

Suddenly, I am standing right in front of Ghetsis. Calmly I command, "Let Pikachu go!"

"Aldith! Glen!" he barks.

"Yes, Sir!"

"Get Ash Ketchum in here first. I want to end this… personally."

The two rush past me, Nate and Hilbert and out of the Pokémon Centre. I think there's going to be a battle. A big one. But why Ash? Yeah, sure he's the world's top Pokémon Master, but I thought that _I_ was the one that that creep wanted. I thought that he was going to finish the job. By killing me.

No. He used me to get to Ash. Oh, God, help me, please! In desperation, I begin to pray the rosary. I whisper the Our Father, Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, and ten Hail Marys. I count on my fingers where I am up to. Five decades of the rosary. Fifty Hail Marys. That's all I need to know that God is with me right now. I feel the strength of the seven Archangels course through me. Inspiring me. Strengthening me. Helping me realise the courage I've always had within me, from the moment I was born.

I wrench my hands apart and sever the ropes. "What are you doing?" Nate cries, grabbing my wrist. Despite his well-defined biceps and triceps, he is not strong enough to hold me.

"Ghetsis, enough is enough." Oh, man, is my voice breaking up a bit? Crap, it is… "Your quarrel is with me. Not with Ash. Or N. It has always been _me_."

"You finally figured it out then, Rosa Stark." The old man begins clapping his hands once a second. "I offer you my congratulations."

I can literally see his tone dripping with sarcasm, but I'm stupid enough to say "Thanks." I can see the seven archangels facepalming themselves and shaking their heads. If I were them, I would too. Honestly, I know the language of sarcasm, and I use it _all the effin' time_, but I'm just stupid like that. Oh well. _C'est la vie!_


	29. Chapter 29

There's just silence. A horrible, extremely loud silence. I don't know what's going to happen to me now. Ghetsis is crazy. He's intimidating and evil and for some reason, I just feel sorry for him. Why I would feel sorry for this creep I have no clue. I suddenly have a crazy idea. I walk towards him and stand right in front of him. "Ghetsis, like I said, your quarrel is with me," I state, looking up into his hard real eye and bionic eye.

"You have some nerve, Miss Stark," he booms down at me. "You are merely a girl, not yet a woman. And besides, didn't you realise that this world is patriarchal? You have no chance. Haven't you noticed that none of the Team Leaders you see before you are female?"

"That is precisely my point, _Gitsis_." There's a collective gasp from the surrounds. Why has this stupid debacle descended from ransom to the patriarchal nature of this society? And of the Teams for that matter? "Mate, I would _love_ to trounce you in a Pokémon battle over this matter, but I gave all my Pokémon to a friend for safekeeping while I'm here. So I can't. But instead, please take me in return for Pikachu. Alive, I am more than gold. Even gem-grade diamond. But dead, well, let's just say that you bought a lemon. Capiche?"

Ghetsis is about to start speaking again, but there's suddenly a loud cry at the back of the Pokémon Centre.

"Lord Ghetsis, we have brought to you Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, the Trainer of the Pikachu being held for ransom!" Aldith calls out.

"Bring him to me."

Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening! Ash… what on _Earth_ are you doing?

Instinctually, I begin feeling my pockets. You have to be kidding me! They took the stone! That must've been what that earthquake was earlier! Reshiram and Zekrom took N and Hilda back to Pinwheel Forest… but how the heck did Hilda and N get the pumice stone? It must have been when we were back at the top of Celestial Tower!

"What have they done?" I whisper. Crap! I just realised that Ghetsis's bionic eye can see through and possibly even remove all disguises! Just like that waterfall at Gringotts Wizarding Bank in _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_! I know this is gonna sound cliché, but… I don't know what to do! Mei was so much better at coming up with plans than I am.

Suddenly, I hear a voice. "Rosa…" it whispers. It's telling me what to do. "Mewtwo's on his way to your family's graves. He wants Nate and Hilbert to take you to the castle. You have to hurry! Now!"

I turn away from Ghetsis and use a karate chop that I was taught long ago to cut through the String Shot that has Pikachu helpless, grab Pikachu out of the threads and run to the front doors, where Ash is.

_'Thank you, Mistress Stark,'_ Pikachu says weakly. His voice is so frail it seems almost as if he'll snap in two. _'Thank you for saving my life.'_

"You're very welcome, Pikachu. I only wish I could've saved you earlier."

I reach Ash and gently place Pikachu in his arms. Pikachu climbs to his normal spot on Ash's shoulder and Ash embraces me so tightly I can't breathe for a while. "There aren't any words with which I can thank you, Rosa," he says, his voice breaking a bit. "And I have no way that I can actually repay you." He slowly loosens his grip so I can talk. "But I believe there is still one thing left for you to do."

"Yes." I paraphrase what the voice told me.

"Well, you'd better obey it. I have a good feeling about this for you, Rosa. Now go get those Grunts to take you to the castle!" He lets me go and I walk backwards a few steps. He bows to me. I bow back. He straightens and puts the middle three fingers of his left hand to his lips and extends them towards me. _The Hunger Games_' three-finger salute. No – friggin' – way.

I bow once more. Then I straighten, turn and run to Ghetsis. "Ghetsis, take me to the castle. If I am to die, I want to die there."

"Aldith, Glen, Ky ōhei and Tōya, take her to the castle. I'll follow alone in twelve hours. Understand?"

"We hear and obey, Lord Ghetsis," the four of them chorus. Kyōhei and Tōya? Those are the names Nate and Hilbert chose?

"Everyone else, clear out and wait at headquarters until further notice. Giovanni, Archie, Maxie and Cyrus, you'll be coming with me."

"We hear and obey, Lord Ghetsis," all the other Grunts chorus.

Nate and Hilbert come in front of me and tie my wrists together. The ropes are a little too tight so I wince a little. Other than that, I don't make a sound. Finally I am fulfilling the plan! It is such an effort not to smile.

Suddenly I notice Nate and Hilbert's uniforms. They're not unlike the new Team Hell getups, but they aren't unlike the old Team Plasma ones. The uniforms are made of a dark sort of chain mail, maybe like onyx or something? But it's the same style as the Team Plasma uniform from 2012, so I dunno. The rest of the uniform is actually pretty much all the same.

Once they've tied me up, the Aldith and Glen phonies come towards us and tie ropes around our waists. We walk out of the Pokémon Centre, certainly not the same people we were before.

Once we're outside, Aldith gets one of her Poké Balls out. "Gothitelle, come out and use Teleport to take us to Humilau City!"

Bright white light beams straight from the Poké Ball and my Gothitelle comes out! She uses Teleport immediately. I have the sudden feeling of going through a vacuum, I can't breathe, and I spin around so quickly I feel like I'm gonna puke. Thank goodness I don't.

We land and Gothitelle is told to use Teleport again, just to the entrance to the Giant Chasm. Again, I experience that horrible vacuum like feeling. This time, it really is a miracle I'm not puking.

I embrace my Pokémon. She starts crying tears of joy. _'I never thought I'd see you again, Rosa,'_ she sobs. Her tears soak into my shirt.

"Me neither, Gothitelle, but boy am I glad you're here." We pull out of our embrace.

The Aldith and Glen lookalikes take off their hats and masks, revealing themselves to be – "Brock and Misty? Are you two absolutely _insane?_ And where did you get my Gothitelle?"

"Hilda gave her to us, along with Lucario," Misty answers. She starts untying the ropes. "N and Hilda really wanted to come, but they knew that they'd be recognised far too easily. And Hugh is already at the castle, so we've gotta hurry. Here's her Poké Ball," she adds, handing it to me. I get her to return. "And who are these two?"

Nate and Hilbert take off their hats and wigs and introduce themselves. "We were captured by Team Plasma in 2010," Nate adds. "You see, we have these crazy powers. Prophecy, control over nature, you name it. But we can't understand Pokémon language. Ghetsis saw a major use for us and he started using us for evil."

"We predicted the rise of three heroines who would save Unova," Hilbert continues. "The first ended up being my twin, Hilda, and the other two were Mei and Rosa. Two years after the Aspertia City twins defeated Iris together, Ghetsis started using our powers again. We were the cause of that tsunami in Castelia City and the cause of the fire in Aspertia. Even though we lose all sense of self, it's been so hard to forgive ourselves after what we did." The two hang their heads down in shame.

Misty places a hand on Hilbert's right shoulder and Nate's left. "Don't be so hard on yourselves!" she admonishes gently. "Just be glad that this whole kerfuffle is almost over. You've done stuff that you wouldn't normally do, both good and bad. And how did you escape from Ghetsis?"

"Substitute."

"Excuse me?" Brock asks quizzically.

"The move 'Substitute'. Another of our powers. The day after the fire, we caused a blackout and created these dummies of ourselves that could do everything we could do. Then we stole some of the old uniforms and made them look like the newer ones. And we pretended to be new recruits, with the names of Kyōhei and Tōya."

"Nice one, you two," I laugh. "But now, we gotta hurry if we want to beat Ghetsis."

* * *

><p>Wow... I'm finally nearing the end of this story... This has gone so quickly.<p> 


	30. Chapter 30

Now this is where the race truly begins. Oh, I am going to make Ghetsis pay for what he did to my family! The other team leaders can get stuffed. I don't care what happens to them, as long as they don't do a Ghetsis. Actually, if they all become deranged enough to be sent to a mental hospital, that'll be best for the whole world in my opinion! Ash, Misty and Brock already dealt with Giovanni back in the nineties and Max and May got rid of Maxie and Archie in '06, and Dawn helped defeat Cyrus in 2010. Boy, is this world messed up!

The chasm hasn't changed. But I don't want to go outside – too many painful memories. For example, the friggin' frigate flattening all those trees – homes – in the process of landing. That was also the day Mei and I were nearly killed. And that – God willing – would have been the end of all of it.

Someone clicks their fingers in my ear. I recoil. "Earth to Rosa!" the voice says. "Snap out of it!"

I apologise and look around. I notice a glint in the trees that are still standing. Then another. And another. Beads of sweat are beginning to form on my brow. "Does anyone else get the feeling that we're being watched?" I whisper.

Suddenly, the glints disappear. And standing directly in front of us are three tall, muscular men. "Are you the Shadow Triad?" I ask. They don't look anything like two years ago. They're wearing pinstriped suits and their signature balaclava kind-of things. And their hair is also the signature weirdo style.

The three shake their heads and detonate a smokebomb. The five of us start coughing profusely. Man! Not the vacuum feeling again! Twice in one day is _more_ than enough!

When the smoke clears, we aren't in the cave of the chasm. We're at the Pokémon League!

"Rosa, you forgot one very vital fact," the tallest guy admonishes. "The castle can be reached only through Victory Road." He turns to Brock and Misty. "N and Hilda lied to you, Brock and Misty. They wanted to help so badly that they and Ash and his other travelling companions are going to meet us all there. They're probably already there by now."

"Then let's hurry," Hilbert says quietly. "I have to see my sister!"

I nod at the three in suits and they pull another smokebomb on us. This time, they change into their signature outfits. And that's good because I can't trust men in suits anymore! "Lead the way," I tell them.

We walk through the cave in single file. There are two of the triad at the front and one at the back. One of the ones up the front is an Earth Bender. The other guy is a Water Bender. The one at the back is also an Earth Bender. When our path is blocked by ruins of Victory Road, the Earth Bender at the front does his stuff. The Water Bender clears a path through the water so we don't get wet. The Earth Bender at the back is clearing our tracks by moving the rubble back to its original position. I swear he has photographic memory!

It's too quiet, so I decide to strike up a conversation. "Umm… Mr. Shadow Triad Earth Bender?" I ask tentatively. "When and why did you guys leave Icirrus City? Mei and I wanted a battle, but you weren't there."

"Call me Shadow," he says, turning to me. I gulp and nod. He turns back to the rubble. "Ghetsis had escaped." He sighs before continuing. "The day Ghetsis ran away was the day your sister died. Maybe if we had kept better supervision and surveillance of him, your sister could still be alive. For that, I'm sorry."

"Shadow, you shouldn't be sorry. It's Ghetsis who should be sorry." I clenched my fists so tightly blood began to run out of my hands. "And I'm gonna make him pay. If N doesn't do it first."

"Why are you letting N finish him off?" Nate asks.

"I promised N that I would be his backup plan. Don't you remember that I never break promises?"

"I know. I also know that you're just like Rapunzel when it comes to promises."

"How do you know?"

"Oi, Rosa! Don't _you_ remember that it was my parents who took you, me and Mei to see that movie?"

"Of course I remember, Dumbo! It's just that you've been gone such a long time that I was starting to forget stuff I knew about you. I'm sorry."

"Hey!" barks the Water Bender, turning around and stopping. His face is so creepy! "Save the family reunion stuff until Ghetsis is dead, okay? Until then, keep it to yourselves. Capiche?"

"Capiche," Nate and I answer.

"Good."

We're silent again until the last leg of the journey, when we are outside. There are two sets of stairs. There's a cave blocked by a Zoroark on the left hand side. She must be Zorua's mother!

I walk down the stairs and kneel before the red and black Pokémon. I know she must have suffered a lot in the past two decades. At the hands of Kodai and the hands of Ghetsis.

_'Follow me,'_ is all she says. I run into the cave, the others right behind me. She turns around and stops briefly, before turning and running again. She turns to the right and disappears. There's no need for her to be there any longer. To the right is a bridge. The bridge to the castle!

"We made it," I whisper.

Suddenly, Hilda appears at the top of the bridge. When she sees me, her face lights up with a humongous smile and she runs down towards us. She embraces me. "Oh, Rosa, I'm so glad you're okay!" she cries. I didn't think I could miss this sensation – of being loved – so much in just a few hours. When she pulls off of me, I don't want it to end. "Who are the Team Plasma guys?" she asks upon seeing the Team Plasma-ed boys.

"Hilda, this is my cousin, Nate," I say, gesturing towards him.

"Hi."

"Nice to meet you, Nate." They shake hands. Turning to the other boy, she looks deep into his face. "Is that you under there, Hilbert?" Wow. I can't believe that she can't believe it really is her long-lost twin brother!

"Hilda, yes, it is me."

Both of them begin tearing up. They grab each other tightly and embrace. They cry with tears of joy. It's making me tear up. I wipe a couple of them away. Nate puts his arm around me. I feel like I should brush him off, for old time's sake, but it's been too long.

Hilda pulls away. "How on Earth did you manage to escape?" she asks, putting her hands on her hips. "And why didn't you call? We were all so worried! Finding _you_ was the whole purpose of my journey!"

"Wow, uh, gee, Hilda, you see…" he puts his hand at the back of his head and stutters a bit before explaining what happened. Okay, so what I'm getting from this story is that he was at home when Team Plasma came for him. He was home alone and just taken. They took his Cross-Transceiver, which is why he didn't call.

"The exact same thing happened to me, Rosa," Nate adds.

"Wow…" I mumble. "I had absolutely no idea. All I know is that you went missing very soon after choosing your Pokémon."

"I haven't seen Oshawott since that day."

"And my Snivy's either dead or with Team Plasma…" Hilbert murmurs.

I just remembered something… I turn to Nate and Hilbert. "Guys, I think I know where your Pokémon are."

* * *

><p>Wow... Chapter 30...<p>

Just to let you guys know, this'll be the last upload for a while. I need to keep writing my other two, but seeing as this one's on my laptop and the other two are on my iPad, I tend to be updating this one a little more than the others. Sorry if this is being a bit cruel!

In the meantime, read Trapped in Unova and The Story of Damos! And please bring out the constructive criticism on all three of them!


	31. Chapter 31

Nate and Hilbert's eyes light up and their faces simply shine. I'm glad I made them this happy. Until today, I hadn't even met Hilbert and it had been four years since the last time I saw Nate. "I want to see Snivy so badly, but I know I have to wait," Nate says, pecking me on the cheek. "You gave me hope again. After four years, I finally have real hope!"

"Hang on," whispers Shadow, placing his hand on the ground.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Oh, you've got to be joking!"

"Tell us, Shadow!" Hilbert and Hilda cry.

"Bianca, Cheren, Hugh and Isla are on their way here."

Hilda swears under her breath. "I thought I told them to stay with the champs, elites and leaders!"

"No offence, Sis, but when has Bianca _ever _listened to _anything_ you say?" Hilbert asks.

"None taken, and very good point."

"They're coming anyway and nothing in the world is gonna stop Hugh and Isla – or Bianca and Cheren for that matter. Why don't we just sit and wait out here?"

"Good idea."

Ash and N come out of the castle and down the bridge. Upon seeing N, both Nate and Hilbert spring in front of us. "Guys, what's the matter?" I ask, trying to move in front of Nate. He blocks me off.

"N's a monster!" Nate snarls.

"No, Nate, he isn't!" I cry.

"What on this planet makes you so sure about that?!" Hilbert yells.

"He's my fiancé!" Hilda shouts.

Nate and Hilbert turn to face her. They blink. "Hilda," begins her twin. "That guy up there is a freak. A freak without a human heart."

"You know, you sound just like Ghetsis. That's actually word-for-word what Ghetsis said four years ago! I'm telling you, he's changed! It took me two years to find him again… and when I did find him, he stood up to Ghetsis. He saved Mei and Rosa from being murdered by the man he called 'Father'. Please give him a chance."

"Nate, Hilbert, I know that you've suffered these past four years," N begins, running down the bridge and over to us, "but I honestly had absolutely no idea you were in there. Some king I was… how could I not have known the secrets of my own kingdom?"

"N, you were a puppet," I whisper. "But you're not anymore. You're your own person. Your own life. So don't worry! These two stupid-heads –"

"Hey!" Nate and Hilbert cry.

"It's the truth. Live with it. Anyway, these two stupid-heads will only become Nobel prize-winners when they understand that you were a pawn and that you've changed. Have you seen the TV show _Avatar: The Last Airbender_?" I ask, sort of changing the subject.

"Yeah…"

"Zuko changed after he understood what was right and joined the gang so he could teach Firebending to Aang. You did the same. Do you get it now?"

"Actually… yeah. Yes. I do get it."

"And you two!" I say quite loudly, pointing at Nate and Hilbert. "N is _not_ a freak without a human heart. Ghetsis was the human-heartless freak. And if you don't understand that, then _you_ are the freaks without human hearts. Capiche?"

"Capiche."

"Good. Now let's go kick some butt!"

"Before you do, I found something that might be of interest to you," Ash says, coming over to us. He's carrying something over. What on Earth is in his arms?

"Ash, what've you got there?" Misty asks.

"There are enough of these for one for each person. These are some swords that I found in N's bedroom. It's still pretty much intact. It really does not look like a nice place to live."

"Trust me, it wasn't. Ghetsis gave me all I ever wanted, but he neglected one thing. A proper father."

Silence ensues once again. Ash hands out the swords. The hilts have even got our names on them! The hilt of the sword that Ash gives me is encrusted with sapphires, topaz and onyx and the sharp, double-edged blade looks like it's made of an igneous rock… maybe obsidian? If it _is_ obsidian, then it must be a scientifically enhanced version, because obsidian is glass. Volcanic glass. The hilt is also veined with gold and silver. It's starting to resemble Kyurem when he fuses with Zekrom.

Ash comes back over to me, holding a second sword. "The inscription on this sword says it's for Mei… but I have the feeling that she'd want you to have it."

"Thank you," I whisper, taking the sword that was meant for my sister. I put my own down on the ground. Mei's sword is so stunning. The hilt is encrusted with carnelians, rubies and diamonds. The blade is very white gold. "Hang on, Ash, how can you tell which sword goes to whom? I know my languages, and this definitely isn't Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Thai, Indonesian… or Russian, Coptic, or Greek. Or any language out there!"

"I studied the ancient language they used in the Abyssal Ruins with Zinzolin two years ago."

"Oh. Okay."

"Ash, do you know who left them here?" Brock asks.

"To be honest, no… I don't. I wish I did, though."

Maybe Papa didn't die after all! I shake my head. He did die. I was there. Isla held his hand as he passed on. But the fact that there is enough for everyone must mean that someone's looking out for us.

Suddenly I hear an unmistakeable squeal.

"Oh, no…" Ash mutters. Next to where he is standing is a pool of water. Sure enough, Bianca comes running in. And true to the nature of their relationship, Bianca runs into Ash, sending him tumbling down into the pool. Everyone and everything within a five metre diameter gets splashed.

"Hey! Where's Ash?" she asks.

"I'm down here…" he growls.

We all laugh despite the tension of the situation. "Sorry, Ash." Bianca helps him up and calls Emboar out of his Poké Ball. She asks him to use Flamethrower on the dry sticks near the castle's bridge. They burn brightly and crackle loudly. I never knew fire made so much noise.

We're all sitting down in front of the fire now, warming ourselves for the inevitable. Ash is still soaked. "Bianca," he says through chattering teeth. "You are so lucky that everything in my pockets is waterproof."

"Yeah, thank God for that, right?" We laugh.

I hold my hands out to the fire. They're still scarred. I sigh. "Nate and Hugh, can I please get you two to be my sparring partners?" I ask, getting up. I really want to use these two handcrafted swords. I'm certain that Mei would want me to use hers. I honestly can't see why she wouldn't want me to.

"Sure," Nate and Hugh answer in unison. The two of them get up. I grab the two swords and Nate and Hugh get theirs out of their scabbards.

I have no idea whatsoever about how to use two double-edged blades. What I remember from the last few episodes of _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ is that you have to keep your weapons as extensions of your arms. Like an extra forearm, I guess.

Holding my weapons tightly, I try moving them around. My hands are scarred too much for me to be able to use them properly. I put both of them in the fire a long time ago and they're still not healed. It'll be a miracle if I can even use them the way I'm meant to. I wish I could fix them up myself. But I'm dependent on them. The slightest mistake, the smallest misplaced thrust could end me.

Oh, God, help me please. Help me destroy the monsters who've razed the world to the ground. The world will end otherwise!

I set up a line between and a circle around me, Nate and Hugh. We go through the rules together. No grievous bodily harm. If you put even so much as a toe out of the ring, that person's out. And not even aiming to injure or cut in the slightest.

N gets up and states the rules we went through. I get into a good position. Almost the warrior yoga pose, but my feet are shoulder width apart in that stance. I slowly breathe out. N asks if I'm ready. I breathe in and answer yes. "In three, two, one, begin!"

Nate and Hugh and I circle around each other. I just want to try and find their weaknesses, trip them up when they're not expecting. Should be pretty easy.

Two minutes later, I'm proven wrong. So very wrong. In fact, I have the point of Hugh's sword on my throat. And I'm on the ground. Of course I know that I need practice. There's no way in this entire universe that I'll be able to master this close combat in a few hours.

"Nice try, Rosa," he says, sheathing his sword. He holds his hand out to me. "You need a lot more training."

"What I need is two unscarred hands," I say, taking Hugh's. He helps me up. "Look at them!"

"I've got something for that," Hilda announces, coming towards me. She gets out my Poké Balls. "I let them out for a bit in the Abyssal Ruins and Victini somehow taught them all Heal Pulse. Do you want to try it?"

"What have I got to lose?"

Hilda throws the balls into the air and the beams of white light materialise into the Pokémon I know and love. They rush toward me and run me down. They kiss and lick, kiss and lick, for what seems like hours. And all the while, I'm giggling my guts out. Through the giggles, I laugh for them to stop.

It's not until several minutes later that they actually do. Gothitelle and Lucario help me up and we embrace. _'Even though it's been only a few hours,'_ Lucario whispers, _'I feel like it's been forever.'_

_'I feel the same, Mistress,'_ Gothitelle adds.

"Me too, guys," I reply.

_'Now, a little birdy told me that you're in need of some training.'_

_'And some healing.'_

"Yes please! Everyone, please use Heal Pulse," I command.

I close my eyes and hold my hands out in front of me. I feel so relaxed and peaceful. There's a tingling sensation in my fingers, but I dare not look yet. The tingling ripples down to my hands and arms and just stops. It continues tingling for another five minutes.

When it stops tingling in general, I open my eyes. I gasp. I never thought it possible! They're healed! The scars are gone! I… I can't believe it!

"Thank you…" I whisper, staring down at my hands. They did it. They actually did it! "Oh, thank you so much! I'm speechless!"

_'Now, Mistress, are you ready for some double-edged double-blade training?'_ Samurott asks.

"Am I ever!"  
>_<p>

Ok, I know that I said that I wouldn't upload any chapters for _Rosa's Sixteenth Year_, but I just finished writing this story and have kind of given up on _The Story of Damos _and _Trapped in Unova_. I am no longer a Pokémon addict, so I can't get motivated enough to write any more on them. Please forgive me.


	32. Chapter 32

Samurott proves herself to be a very good sparring partner. While we're practicing, the other Regional heroes and their rivals arrive, along with Ash's other travelling companions. May comes up to me and tells me that I'm doing a good job. And what is my reply? "Sorry, can't talk right now." I know that was rude, but Samurott has me backed into a corner. She twists my swords around and disarms me.

_'Rosa, what do you say?'_ Samurott asks.

"Sorry for being so rude and thank you for the compliment," I say to May.

"That's okay and you're welcome. Rosa, I thought your hands were scarred beyond repair. How did they become whole again?"

"I think you should try asking Victini. Speaking of Victini, do you have any idea of where the little ankle biter could be?"

"Huh? 'Ankle biter'?"

"A term I picked up from the Irwin family when they were staying with us back in '06. It means 'toddler' in Australian slang."

"Robert would've been at that point in time. Anyway, no, I haven't seen her, nor do I have any idea where she could be."

"Thanks."

"No worries."

I get back to training with Samurott, and by sunset I can work the double swords quite well. Samurott even says it's like I've had the swords connected to me all my life! That's a great compliment, especially considering the fact that I'd been used to using my hands as they were – scarred and malformed. I was just a little girl when it happened.

But Victini has been gone for a while. I try seeking out Meloetta. Those two are never apart for long. I call Meloetta's name and I hear a terrible scream coming from the castle. "That's Meloetta!" I yell, sheathing my swords as I run to the castle bridge. "Come on, hurry!"

'I wasted too much time,' I think as I run, leading the others along behind me. 'I wasted too much precious time and who knows what's gonna happen to Meloetta? And Victini for that matter?'

I hear the scream again, longer and more bloodcurdling. I resist the temptation to curl up into a ball, because if I do, none of us will live to see the next sunrise. "I'm coming, Meloetta! Hold on!" I race inside and jump over the pillar that's been pushed over. The screaming is getting louder and louder. I reach the end of the path and jump to the other side. There's a hidden door at the end and I manage to crash it open.

Nothing can prepare me for the sight I see. Victini is hooked up to a strange machine. Meloetta and Mewtwo are tied up with an enchanted rope – how do I know it's enchanted? Besides the fact that the two can't untie themselves, despite being Psychic-Types, the rope has a strange glow to it. The bodies of my parents and sister are piled on top of each other in a corner. It looks as though they haven't decayed a single bit while they were buried. I look at the computer that's controlling Victini's machine. Oh, dang it! It's that son of a bitch, Ghetsis. Why can't this guy just leave my friends and I in peace? Oh, yeah… he's hell-bent on world domination and will _never_ leave us alone till he dies.

You know, I'm actually starting to feel a little bit sorry for the guy. I'm guessing that he has never known love in his entire life. I heard somewhere that the world's most wanted man was abandoned at an early age and taken in by some incredibly harsh people who beat and abused him in almost every way. I think that might be the same for Ghetsis. However, there is no way I will let this guy live for what he's done to my family. My sister. My parents. My town. My world. He's destroyed almost everything, and there is no way I will let him get away with it.

The other reason I feel sorry for this bloke is because he's always going to be this evil mastermind. He'll go to Hell.

"Rosa, Rosa, Rosa, what a pleasant surprise," his voice slithers, as he slinks up towards me. "Of course, you'd know all about pleasant surprises, now wouldn't you?"

"How long have you been here?" I ask.

_'Be careful, Rosa,'_ Victini whispers weakly.

I rush to the machine. "What's happening to you, Victini? How long have you been in here?"

_'He's draining all my power… if I'm in this machine for much longer, I'll die.'_

"There is no way I am letting that happen!" I hurry over to Meloetta and Mewtwo. "Listen," I whisper, trying to undo the knots, "I need you to send a telepathic message to N and everyone else in or around the castle. Tell them to hurry up here and bring as much reinforcement as they can. Tell N to lead. He'll know what to do. Curse this rope!" I mutter. Every time I get close to undoing a knot, it does itself up again, and what's worse, it gets tighter and tighter.

"You won't be able to untie those knots, Rosa. You have to kill me before you can untie them."

I draw my swords. "You son of a bitch. You know where you're going straight after this, don't you? Straight down to Hell. And I feel sorry for you. Because after today, you will never have another chance to be anything better than this. N is going to put you out of your misery forever."

I hear the sound of feet pounding on the hard stone floor of the castle. Voices. "We're coming, Rosa!" one yells. "Hang on!" another calls. "Don't let him destroy everything again!" the next shouts.

The gang busts inside. Bianca, Cheren, Hilda, N, Hilbert, Nate, Hugh, Isla, Ash, Brock, Misty, May, Max, Dawn, Cilan and Iris join us as well as their Pokémon.

"Ghetsis, let's not decrease our chance of survival by battling in here," Cheren negotiates. "Why don't we take this outside? To the throne room, perchance?"

"Only because this room is so miniscule," he replies, leading us over a new bridge and up the stairs.

I stay back so I can ask Isla to look after the three Pokémon. "Isla, you're good with Psychic-Types. Can you please look after Victini, Meloetta and Mewtwo?" I ask.

"No problem!" she says and hurries over to the two Pokémon who have been tied up.

"Max, you too," May orders.

"How come?" he asks.

"You're good with IT. If there's a way to get Victini out of there, you're the one to figure that out."

"Max, you'll have to just try and keep her alive," I whisper, just loud enough for him to hear. "She said herself that she hasn't got much time left."

"Got it!"

May and I hurry to the rest of the group just in time before we enter the throne room. Inside, it is all repaired. "That's odd…" Hilda murmurs. "I swear the last time I was here is was desecrated, decimated, and destroyed."

"It's amazing what can be done with a whole army!" Ghetsis raises his arm and gestures all around the room.

Over two thousand men, women and Pokémon slink forward from the shadows. I am a volcano inside. All my energy is going into just keeping my mouth shut. There is so much lava that is made up of so many horrible, mean and derogatory phrases and words that just biting my tongue is a massive effort.

N steps forward. "I thought this fight was just going to be between you and me, Father," he says clearly. Hilda and I gasp and exchange glances. The last time we heard him call Ghetsis "Father," was the day the evil mastermind was unsuccessful in killing Mei and I the first time.

"Hah! You poor, misguided simpleton!" Ghetsis laughs, shaking his head. "Why in the world would you still call me that if you know I am not?"

N shrugs. "I believe it makes you sound more human than the horrible being you have become. I know there is still some humanity left in you, but it's buried deeper than we can dig. As long as you have that humanity in you, I can never destroy you. Father, let me ask you something. Did you ever love me?"

"How could anyone love a pawn used for chess?"

Silence ensues for a little while. Not even the heartbeat can be heard over the deafening silence. How cruel can this guy get!? N was raised by him as a child and now Ghetsis has proven he felt no love.

I can see from the way his shoulders are shivering that N is beginning to cry. But, as soon as it starts, it finishes. "Fine then. Let's have a duel."

"With what? Will we use Pokémon? Or shall we use our fists, like common brawlers?"

N shakes his head. "Swords. Double-edged blades. A fight to the death."

Hilda gasps and runs up to him. "No, N, you can't!" she cries, grabbing onto his arm. "He'll kill you!"

"Hilda, he can't kill me," he whispers, turning to her. "And I can't kill him either."

"How come?" I ask.

"There is a certain kind of magic in this region, my love, that governs and dictates just about everything. The laws of this magic state that a father cannot kill his son without turning to ash and dust himself, and vice versa. He can, however, seriously injure me."

"But doesn't he know about this magic?" Hilda asks.

"No, he doesn't. He doesn't know this magic because he can't talk to Pokémon. The Emboar who looked after me told me of this magic. It can only be used in situations such as this." N turns to me. I gulp. "If he stabs me, Rosa, I want you to destroy him. Not only will you be avenging your family, but you will also avenge all the innocent blood he shed in his quest to bring power and glory to his name. Okay?"

"Okay. Just don't get stabbed!"

"I won't. Now clear off this stage so we can fight without hurting anyone else!"

I nod and lead the others to the raised dais so we can watch the battle. While everyone else is looking around, my eyes are focussed on N and Hilda. The two are kissing very passionately. When I close my eyes, they are still there, only they have a strange and amazing wondrous golden glow about them. Their union is truly meant to be. And I can tell they will be in love forever, and have hundreds of descendants.


	33. Chapter 33

I open my eyes to find Hilda rushing up towards us. "Good luck," she whispers as N forms a dome of ice around the battlefield with his Vanilluxe.

"Don't worry, Hilda," I say, placing my hand on her shoulder. "N's not gonna die. Not if he is the man I know him to be."

As the two lay out the rules and begin circling each other, I suddenly hear the same voice that told me to hurry to the castle. _"Rosa, N is just buying time,"_ it says. I listen to everything it has to say and quickly begin to follow its orders to the letter.

I ask May, Kris, Silver, Dawn, Red and Lucas for their legendries. When they ask me why, I respond with, "It's for the good of this world."

I pocket them. May has given me Rayquaza and Groudon – she told me that Max has Kyogre; Kris gave me Ho-Oh and Lugia; Silver gave me Suicune, Entei and Raikou; Dawn gave me Dialga, Palkia and Giratina; Lucas gave me Mesprit, Uxie and Azelf; and Red has given me Mew, Moltres, Articuno and Zapdos.

"Hilda, Nate, Hilbert, follow me," I tell them. "We have to hurry."

The four of us scooch behind the throne and into the crowd below. We inch our way through to the entrance. Why do there have to be so many people here today? Victini, please be alright.

Once out the door, I break into a run. I hurry down the stairs, jump to the other side, land very gracefully, and burst into the room. The others land somewhat heavily and complain of twisted or rolled ankles or knees.

"What are you guys doing here?" Max asks when he sees us.

"Rosa heard a voice saying that we should come here," Hilda explains.

"It gave me very detailed instructions for what we should do now. Max, have you saved Victini yet?" I ask expectantly, looking over at the machine.

"That machine is her last hope. Her vital signs are so low that this thing is now life support. What she needs is a healing move before we can even think about getting her out of there."

I move over to Isla, who is still trying to undo the knots. "Isla, can you stop that for a moment and try to separate the two?"

"Sure!" She stops on the knots and succeeds in getting a small degree of separation between Meloetta and Mewtwo.

I draw my sword. "Hold still," I whisper. I plunge the sword into the small gap and slowly bring it towards me. I work the sword like a small knife and quickly cut the bonds. "Hold on, I thought Gitsis said that I could only release them when he's dead…"

Once free, Meloetta hugs me quickly and rushes over to the machine so she can use Heal Pulse on Victini. Slowly, bit by bit, she regains consciousness. Just before she opens her eyes fully, her head droops again.

"Get her out of there, Max!" I yell.

"I'm on it!"

"Meloetta, keep using Heal Pulse! Don't stop now!"

_'I need help!'_ she cries. _'Mewtwo, please, I need you! I can't do this on my own!'_

_'Right here, Meloetta,'_ he says, walking over.

I begin praying that Victini will be okay. God, please don't let her die! If you let this wondrous creature die, the world will lose its chance to heal. Please let her live!

I suddenly realise what I have to do. "Max, shut this thing down!" I order.

"I can't!" he replies, frightened at what might happen to Victini.

"Well, then find the plug and pull it! Something like this is bound to have a large power source."

"Does anyone here have a Ground- or Rock-Type Pokémon?"

"Gimme Terrakion, Hilda."

"Here you go!" she says, giving it to me.

"Isla, use your ice power on the cord!"

"Got it!" Isla rushes over, and shakily, points her hands over the power cord. She breathes in. When she exhales, ice pours out of her hands. The cord freezes over.

"Now you come out Terrakion, and use Close Combat!" The Pokémon appears and stomps on the frozen cord and busts it completely. "Thank you. Return!" Terrakion dodges the beam. "I don't want to lose you! Now get inside!"

Terrakion shakes his massive head. _'No, Rosa. Look, I know you only want what's best for us, but Victini is like a little sister to me! I can't let her die!'_

"In that case, give her some of your energy when I bust her out. She's dying!"

I break the glass that is encasing Victini with the hilt of my sword, switch it around, and hack through the metal cuffs that have her bound hand and foot. I catch her before she hits the floor. "Now, Terrakion!"

The terracotta lion places his massive paw on Victini's tiny, frail head. He shudders a little, before gently pulling away.

The little Victory Pokémon flutters her eyes open and floats up. She glows a strong, golden hue and poses the way her PokéDex entry has her.

Meloetta grabs onto Victini and the two embrace, joyful tears streaming down their faces. After a minute, they rush towards me.

_'Thank you so much, Mistress Rosa! Thank you, thank you, thank you!'_ Victini cries joyfully.

"I'm just so glad you're alright!"

That voice is back again. _"Hello, Rosa,"_ it whispers gently, but I definitely, finally, recognise it as my twin's.

I turn around and see a ghostly figure slowly sinking into Mei's body. The body stretches, pushes those of our parents off of her and stands up. My sister is still wearing what she wore on the day she died – her favourite old and pale ripped jeans and sparkly camisole top. I look for where the wound should be and it has disappeared. It's almost as though she is truly back from the dead.

"Oh, Mei, I've missed you so, so much!" I rush towards her and embrace her, squeezing her tightly.

"Whoa, Rosa, ease up a little!" Mei sounds as though she's choking.

"Sorry," I answer, pulling back a little.

"Come on. We've got a deranged and delusional murderer to bring to justice!"

Mei turns to leave. "Mei, wait. Does this mean you're back here… forever?" I ask, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Mei shakes her lovely, tawny head so her locks fall about her face. "Just today. I have a score to settle with that man, just as you do. Unless we do it together, we'll never be rid of him. Ever."

There's a long pause. Tears well up in my eyes. I blink to clear them away. "Mei, one more thing." I take Mei's sword out of its sheath. "Here," I say, giving it to her. "This was always meant for you, Mei. I don't know who left these swords for us… all I know is that we need them in order to defeat the maniac that Ghetsis is."

Mei takes it in her hands. "Wow… it's beautiful…"

"Um… Mei, Rosa?" Hilda interrupts. "I'm sorry to cut the reunion short, but we need to get a move on if we ever want to defeat that git."

Mei and I nod to each other. In that nod, a thousand words are conveyed. I learn that our friend, the tenderfoot ghost girl, Theresa, who used to live in the Strange House of Lentimas Town, is bringing backup – and lots of it!

"Let's go," I say assertively. Wow. I have really become a leader.

We all hurry back and edge into the room where – oh, the insanity! – N is on the ground, a bad wound in his leg. "N!" Hilda cries, rushing to the dome that is separating the lovers. She bangs her hands against it. Ghetsis is raising his cane up to strike!

"Use Incinerate on the ice dome, Victini, and then use Psychic on Ghetsis!"

_'Got it, Mistress Rosa!'_

The ice dome becomes nothing more than a pool of water in less than a second and Hilda runs to her fiancé. Victini then uses Psychic as I asked her to. Ghetsis floats up into the air, unable to do any damage to himself (regrettably) or to N (thankfully!).

"Meloetta, use Heal Pulse on N!" Mei yells.

_'Understood, Mistress Mei!'_

Meloetta flies towards N. She places her hands against his leg wound and sends out a healing aura. His sweating face is calmed and asking about his wound receives the answer "What wound?"

Before we can do anything else, a strong, bitingly icy wind wails through the destroyed throne room, making me cover my ears and close my eyes. When Mei gently prises my hands off my ears an my eyes open, the wailing has stopped and there are ghosts all around us. Well, I wouldn't exactly call them ghosts, but spirits, or angels. There are the dead spirits of men, women and children, and the ghosts of some such as Theresa. Poor thing, even though we read her family's diaries, we still couldn't set her free of her thousand year prison sentence which began in October of 1012, when she committed suicide after being made pregnant through rape.

But now, I have the feeling that she will be set free after helping us defeat the horrid man that is Ghetsis. She will be redeemed and receive her place in Heaven, next to her parents and siblings. We also called her the Tenderfoot Ghost Girl because the rape occurred when she was fifteen, just a year younger than I am now.

"Mei, Rosa, you both have to kill him," Theresa whispers in our ears, a hard, raspy sound, which is totally unexpected of this girl. When Mei and I were with her in 2012, she was so softly spoken that her voice sounded like a weak breeze in the trees. "If you both kill him, he will never come back. But he will have his revenge in the future."

"Then what's the point of killing him in the first place?" I whisper back, furiously.

"Just take your swords out, both of you. Victini's strength is already fading. Every spirit present here will hold him still the instant his feet touch the ground, but only for less than a moment. I will give you the intense speed that you need."

Mei and I drew our swords. The crowd surrounding us clears a pathway for us. "Receive the intense speed that you need now!"

The instant Ghetsis's feet touch the ground, I feel a rush of intense energy coursing through my veins. We rush towards him.

Our swords go straight through him to the other side. We let go but don't pull them out. I realise that if we pull them out, he'll live.

"I see," he whispers. "From this moment, N and Hilda, your union will be cursed with no fruit. And with this, I die."

He falls back down upon the ground and his body disappears, leaving the two swords, stained with midnight black blood.


	34. Chapter 34

I don't believe it. I cannot believe it. This is insane! I just killed a man – granted, a very evil one – but nevertheless, I killed someone. I took a life that didn't belong to an annoying mosquito or fly. "It's justified," I whisper to myself, to try and help me cope. "He killed so many people, why shouldn't he die for it?"

After a minute of stunned silence, a vaporous figure rises from where Ghetsis fell. It looks just like him! I hurry to grab my sword, but I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around and see my sister… fading… becoming transparent. "Rosa… don't do what I know you want to do," she whispers. "I am trying to stay here for as long as I possibly can, for your sake, and for Theresa, because I think she wants to speak to us."

Sure enough, Theresa floats over to us. "Thank you so much!" she cries, trying to embrace us, but falling through and making me shiver as though I just stepped into a freezing, ice cold shower.

"Does this mean you can finally go and be with your family in Heaven, Theresa?" I ask.

"I choose to stay here, for a little while at least, to help bring your parents and Mei with me. I know you will probably hate me for it, Rosa, but your turn _will_ come. If He is the God I know, then I know that He will make good on His promise."

"God… promised I would get to Heaven?" I ask, incredulous. How in the world does killing a man allow someone to get to Heaven? I killed him, there's no other way of looking at it other than the cold hard good and honest truth.

Theresa nods. "Rosa, you may have killed him, but it was for the good of the whole world. The whole country was destroyed, remember? Or are you worried about something else?"

"Yes, I am, Theresa. What if I'll never see the end of this?"

"Rosa, there is an end to everything," Mei confirms, her hand on my shoulder fading and getting lighter. "Even Ghetsis."

"Including my time as a ghost," Theresa shouts joyously. "I'll see you all in Heaven!"

"See you later, Theresa!" Mei and I shout out in unison.

I turn around to face Mei, who is disappearing almost with urgency. "Mei, please, please stay!" I cry, trying to grab her shoulder. My hand falls straight through.

"Goodbye, Rosa… but you know that there is no way it's forever, so chin up! I'll always be there, in your heart," she rebukes gently, placing her hand on my heart, "right next to Papa, and Mum and Dad. The circle will be whole before you know it, Rosa."

"Thank you, Mei! Wait, before you go… there is no darkness," I begin.

"When there is light," Mei answers.

"And there is only darkness when something blocks the light," we finish together. It feels almost as though I will see her again, when my time comes.

"Goodbye, Sis." Holding my sister's hand close to my heart, I feel her move inside me as she disappears to my eyes. "I love you. And you'll always be in my heart."

I turn around and watch the shadowy form of Ghetsis as it floats over to N and Hilda, who are clutching each other on the ground. They know how close they came to death today, how close we all came to death. "Your union will be cursed to be childless," he says to them bluntly.

"What have you done?" N cries angrily. "I thought there was still humanity left in you!"

"You see my form now? There never was _any_ humanity in me."

"But why would you curse us?" Hilda asks, gentler than her fiancé.

"You are the ones who cursed yourselves. By plotting to kill me, and having someone else kill me, you denied yourselves the chance to be true parents. You, Hilda, will never carry a living, breathing child to term." With that, he vanishes into the surrounding air, creating a howling, biting wind that is stronger than all the angels and spirits here earlier.

After a minute of the dreadful kind of silence where you know something awful is about to happen, Hilda rises from the ground and calmly walks out of the throne room. A second after she exits, I hear a terrible, bloodcurdling scream. It's the kind of scream that results from the knowledge that a longing mother has lost her chance to be one forever. It tugs at my heartstrings and drums into my ears. But I know it's not over yet. I simply _refuse_ to believe that she's been cursed for eternity!


	35. Epilogue

It is now five months after that demon's death. N and Hilda are now married, as are Ash and Misty, and it's a struggle to see who is happier – the Harmonia-Coalbrands or the Ketchums. It shouldn't be a competition, I know, but I can't help it!

The instant we stepped outside the castle, we found that Unova was healed to better than she was before. A few hours after everyone said goodbye and went to their own regions, we (N, Hilda, Hugh, Isla, Nate, Hilbert and myself) were flooded with calls from the others, telling us that their Regions were restored as well. I wondered if that meant that the people who died are alive again. Thinking about it now, I shake my head. Once someone is dead, there is no way to bring them back. Even Mei was only back for a little while before she left.

But without Teams Rocket, Magma, Aqua, Galactic and Plasma, all the Police Officers have to find other ways to occupy their time. I heard that they've taken up needlework, origami and clothing design as hobbies, some of which have hit the bigtime.

Without Mei and my parents in the house, life was too quiet. So I would go and find Alder and his grandson, to challenge them to a battle. Some days I'd win, others they'd win. Even after this, there was too much time left on my hands, and I never wanted to go on another journey again.

**_Ten Years Later…_**

I am married to Hugh, so I am now Mrs Rosa Belrose. I no longer have time for myself, as it is all occupied with my darling little boy, who I called Guido, after my father. Ash and Misty have two daughters, Hilda Isla and Rosa Mei, who are now eight and seven respectively. Poor Hilda has suffered no fewer than twelve miscarriages, and is carrying another doomed child now. I shake my head at the thought. Knowing Theresa and my sister, they will be taking great care of the children who never got the chance to live.

Life is grand now. And I am certain that it always will be.


End file.
